The Archivist Chronicles: Chapter 2

by T.B. Anderson

copyright Tyler Anderson

The city of Taurden was now more alive than Wats had ever seen it in his short time here. He watched the transport vehicles flood the streets and flow seamlessly in every direction. Many of the transports had escaped the heavy flow of ground traffic and had taken to the sky lanes above. Wats stood next to Ozer at the edge of the sidewalk. He wasn’t sure what to say. They had left the five gang members behind, unconscious, and neither had spoken a word since. Even though they both thought it best not to tell his parents about the incident, he wasn’t sure how he was going to hide the cut and bruises on his cheek.

Ozer broke the silence first, “Your shield worked.” Wats looked over to regard Ozer and was surprised. While Ozer was small in stature, he was 5’ 10” compared to Wats 6’ frame, Ozer stood tall with confidence and could intimidate almost anyone. He was often skeptical of Wats’ inventions, but there was no hint of that in his voice now. He seemed like he was actually impressed. A slight smile curved in the right corner of his mouth, but quickly faded from the sharp pain of the cut. Wats looked down at his arm and could see the metal sleeve that protruded out of from under his right coat sleeve and partially covered the back of his hand. The shield was his own design, something he had been working on for quite some time. Instead of pressing a button to activate the shield he had modified his translator ear piece to allow him to control the shield with his thoughts. It had worked. “It was good to finally test it in the field. But Ozer, if you hadn’t showed--” Ozer cut him off with the raise of his hand and a slight shake of the head. There was no need for Wats to thank him because it was his job to watch over and train him.

Ozer turned his attention back to the passing vehicles. “I was actually standing in the dark watching you for a few moments. I wanted to see how you handled yourself in your true combat and you were able to hold your own today. You saw opportunities and used them to your advantage. My training seems to be taking hold.” Two compliments in the span a minute, who was this man standing in front of him? It couldn’t be the real Ozer. “But your shield does have a flaw. It vanished when you hit your head on the ground. Make sure to fix that.” There it was, that was the Ozer he knew. But he was still surprised by the compliments, which was definitely something new.

Ozer continued, “Let’s catch a transport back to the ship. If we walked I doubt we’d make it back before your parents. You’ll need time to clean up those cuts and try and hide them as best as you can. It would probably be best if we didn’t tell them about tonight,” there was a slight hesitation in his voice, “at least not yet.” Wats nodded in agreement. He knew Ozer was right. His parents tended to overreact to dangerous situations involving him and he would receive increased unwanted attention due to the injuries. He was 16 now and didn’t want to be treated like a little boy anymore. He had just taken on a gang of five, with Ozer’s help of course, but he walked away with only a few minor scratches and bruises.

Ozer held out his hand and hailed down a taxi transport. A taxi buzzed to a stop alongside the sidewalk in front of Ozer and Wats. Wats noticed the sleek design of this model.  The lights of the passing transports bounced off the shiny metallic blue exterior and danced along the ground. The top was down and Wats could clearly see the effect the wind had on the woman’s hair, but she didn’t seem to mind. The woman taxi driver looked at Ozer and inquired, “Where you headed?” Ozer replied, “To the ship hangers on the west end of town. If you could get us there as quickly as possible that would be very much appreciated.” The woman responded confidently, “Well then today is your lucky day.” Wats waited for her to finish her statement, but no explanation came as to why they were so lucky.

Wats watched Ozer hop into the transport and he followed after. When they were seated, she looked back and smiled a devilish grin at the pair, “Strap yourself in and hold on to your butts.” Without another word the taxi lifted off the ground and zoomed towards the sky lanes above. The wind blew ferociously against Wats face as he gazed at the bustling streets below. This was an entirely new view of Taured to him and he was enjoying it.

Without warning the driver made a sharp turn and swooped around a building. The vehicle tilted so far to the right that they were almost vertical. To his horror Wats hadn’t strapped himself in so he flew from his seat and tumbled towards the busy streets below. Frantically he screamed and reached for anything he could get a hold of to stop his fall. Ozer was quick to react when he saw Wats slide from his seat. His hand shot out and snatched Wats around the wrist, dangling him high above the city. The taxi made it around the corner the driver leveled out the vehicle, which allowed Ozer pull Wats back to safety. Wats immediately grabbed the restraint and buckled himself in. Wats looked at the driver in disgust, “You could have given us a warning before pulling a stunt like that,” he cussed. “I did,” she retorted, “I told you to strap in.” A wry smile crept into the corner of her mouth.

She made another quick turn and swerved in front of another transport, narrowly escaping a collision between the two vehicles. Wats eyes were full of panic and fear. He looked over to see Ozer for support, but found him smiling instead. Wats wondered how he could possibly find this situation so amusing. It must be a pilot thing he thought to himself. The taxi jerked again as it swerved and speeded around another taxi.

Wats regained his composure and since Ozer didn’t seem to be worried he thought it best to try and make the best of the situation. He attempted to talk to the driver over the howl of the wind, “What’s your name?” The driver didn’t respond vocally, but pressed a button next the steering console and an I.D. badge flashed on the screen in front of Wats that was mounted into the back of the driver’s seat. Wats hadn’t noticed the driver’s features before, but he studied her I.D. picture closely now. Her piercing blue eyes against her black hair gave an air of confidence. If she didn’t just almost kill Wats earlier, he might have even found her to be someone he’d like to be friends with. To the right of her picture was her name, Nolan B. Hash. Nolan, that’s a strange name for a woman Wats thought to himself. He also wondered if her family was originally from Archon or if her lineage hailed from Earth.

“Is your family originally from Taured,” he asked inquisitively. No response. Maybe she hadn’t heard him or maybe she didn’t want to answer, so he thought he’d try a different question. “How long have you been driving a taxi?” This was the wrong thing to ask. Without warning Nolan thrust the steering console forward and sent the transport into a nosedive toward the flood of transports below. Wats grabbed onto Nolan’s seat and hung on for dear life. The taxi arced out of its decent and came to a sudden stop, the motion throwing Wats forward and burying the strap into his gut. Wats clutched his stomach and groaned in pain. He wondered what it was about his question that seemed to irritate her. It seemed innocent enough.

Nolan turned around nonchalantly and held out her credit transmitter, “That will be 20 credits.” There seemed to be no remorse for her actions, in fact she smiled at Ozer and he returned her gesture with a laugh. “I’ll give you 25. I haven’t enjoyed a ride like that in a long time.” Nolan accepted Ozer’s compliment with a smile. Wats frowned at the exchange. He had almost fallen to his death and both of these people were acting like if nothing dangerous had occurred. Ozer transferred the credits and hopped out, followed quickly by Wats. He was glad to be out of that death trap.

“If you’re going to be in Taured for a while I’m happy to take you around. Here’s my contact info.” Nolan tapped her credit transmitter and shared her info with Ozer. “Thank you. I don’t think we will be here long, but if we are I could use another ride like that,” Ozer smirked. Wats did not share the same sentiment as Ozer. He was as adventurous as Ozer, but there was no denying Nolan towed the line between sane and crazy a little too closely for comfort.

Without another word Nolan shot up into the sky and Ozer watched the taxi disappear into the traffic overhead. “Now that is a pilot,” Ozer observed. “She’s just a taxi driver,” Wats commented back with a snark. Ozer turned and looked at him sternly. Wats was taken back by the sudden change in Ozer’s demeanor. “Remember I was just a transport driver hauling farming goods from planet to planet, but your father saw promise in me. The same promise I see in her,” Ozer pointed to the spot where Nolan’s taxi had disappeared into the traffic. Ozer was done with the topic and Wats knew it, so he didn’t press him any farther with his comments. Wats watched Ozer turn away from him and disappear into the hanger. Wats didn’t want to follow immediately so he lingered for a moment, burning from the reprieve, but finally gave in and disappeared into the hanger as well.

The ships door to the bridge opened and Wats stepped in. He looked around for any sign of his parents. There was no sign of them. He breathed a sigh of relief, but that relief quickly disappeared when he heard footsteps behind him. He turned around to see his parents walking through the open door and on to the bridge. “Mother. Father. I--.” Dallimore interrupted his son, “Wats, please connect us with the council. They have an urgent message for us that can’t wait.” His parents hadn’t noticed the cuts or bruises and he seized the opportunity to vanish into the background. and knew the urgent message must be the only thing consuming their thoughts right now. He obeyed his father’s order and flipped the ships communications switch on. Dallimore hadn’t asked Wats to leave so he felt that was permission for him to stay.

The holographic projection at the front of the bridge sparked to life and three supreme members of the council appeared within. Wats recognized Councilors Bonniksen and Beck, but wasn’t sure who the third member was. Normally it was only one member passing down assignments so this must be important Wats thought. The council members only seemed to register Dallimore and Ashe, so Wats slunk into the shadows a little more to stay out of sight. He wanted to hear what they were going to say. Wats and his parents had received reports and assignments from the council before, but there was an urgency and rush to their speaking. Something was up.

Councilor Bonniksen spoke first, “Senior Archivists Dallimore and Ashe, we come to you with an emergency assignment. Archivist Beckran was retrieving materials on Solarian when conflict broke out. He’s trapped and needs assistance getting off planet.” Bonniksen was interrupted by Beck, “It will not be safe to take your son and we recommend leaving him on Archon. We’ve already hired another crew to provide you assistance in extracting him from the planet.” The third member, who Wats still didn’t recognize, finally spoke, “The items he has acquired are of the utmost importance to our cause and every effort must be taken to preserve them. Your ship will depart for Solaria in one hour. Once you are in route we will contact you with further details.”

The transmission cut off abruptly and the hologram evaporated into thin air. Dallimore and Ashe hadn’t even uttered a word. This was definitely strange Wats observed so he watched his parents carefully. The excitement and thrill Dallimore and Ashe had experienced earlier that day from had vanished and was now replaced anxiousness.

Ashe spoke to Dallimore, “I’ll gather the supplies as quickly as I can.” She turned to leave but her eyes locked with Wats, and it was just then she realized he had been present for the entire message with the council. “Wats, I forgot you were here.” Wats could see the worry in her eyes and hear the tremble in her voice. “You won’t be accompanying us on this mission and will be staying here with Ozer. He’ll keep you safe.” She said the last part more as a reassurance for her sake than Wats. “We’ll only be on Solarian for a short time. It’s a routine extraction.” That was a lie. Wats knew it and so did his parents. Any extraction was dangerous, but especially in that sector of the galaxy. Solarian tended to be a lawless planet frequented by opportunists with an agenda.

Wats could see his mother’s hand shaking and watched Dallimore walk over to her and take her hand to steady it. It was his way of calming her nerves. He gave Wats a forced smile in an attempt to cover their worry, but he knew they were worried about their chances of returning. “We need someone to continue cataloging and searching for any other artifacts here on Archon. Take advantage of this opportunity and show the council how brilliant we already know you are,” Dallimore let go of his wife’s hand and walked over to Wats, clasping him on the shoulder. Wats and Dallimore locked eyes and he knew his father meant what he said about showing the council his worth. That meant the world to him and he could feel a swelling of pride in his chest. It had been the only reassuring thing either of his parents could have said to ease their worry about returning to him.

“The hired crew should have a healthy supply of weapons, but I would feel much better if we took some of our own. Especially of the ones you modified. Could you grab those for me Watson?” Dallimore asked. Wats didn’t know what to say so he just shook his head in agreement. “Good boy. Meet us at our quarters in 30 minutes.” And with that Dallimore exited the bridge without another word. Wats watched his mother follow and noticed she wouldn’t look at him. That’s when he saw the tears pooling in the corners of her eyes and he knew if she had looked at him she would have been unable to stop the flood of emotions. His mother was trying to hold herself together, for her sake and his, so he let her go without saying a word.

Later Wats watched the ramp close behind his parents. He couldn’t help but run through all the possible scenarios and shuttered at the thought of his parents not returning to him. But he couldn’t think like that, he had to stay positive and focus on the task at hand, which was to make his parents proud. Ozer stepped up behind Wats, unsure of what to say. So he suggested the only thing he could think of to take Wats mind off his parent’s mission, “Let’s get back to your training.”

In the training room Wats and Ozer locked staves. Ozer’s long black hair stuck to his sweat stained face. Wats was actually giving him a good fight. Ozer wasn’t sure if it was the evening’s earlier scuffle with the gang or Wats just trying to take his mind of the current situation, but regardless, he was impressed. It was time to see just how good Wats was and push him a little harder than he ever had before. He pulled his staff back and broke away from Wats, quickly wiping his hair and sweat from his brow. “It’s time to see how skilled you really are,” Ozer said with a smile. He could see it in Wats’ eyes; he was ready to prove himself. Crack! Ozer blocked Wats next strike, but only just barely. He was going to have to get creative. Wats gritted his teeth and readied himself for his next attack, but before he had even made his move Ozer knew where the next blow would be coming from. Wats head let his frustration allow him to telegraph his next strike. This would be a perfect opportunity to reinforce an earlier lesson Ozer thought. He relaxed his body momentarily and prepared for the blow.  

Wats charged Ozer and swiped across his body in an attempt to knock the staff from his hand, but the blow narrowly missed its target. Ozer side stepped the move, but was caught off guard by quick blow to his hand. The staff fell from his hand and hit the mat with a thud. Wats pointed the tip of his staff at Ozer’s chest. “Yield,” Wats growled through his teeth. But Ozer didn’t yield; in fact he looked like a tiger ready to pounce on his pray. This confused Wats and gave Ozer the split second distraction he needed. With one swift move Ozer snatched the end of staff, pulled Wats into him, and swiped out his leg from under him. Ozer could see the surprise on Wats face due to the sudden change of events. Wats fell to the ground with a looked and looked completely stunned.

The boy was getting better, but he was still the master. And it was at that moment he realized he might be enjoying this just a little too much. Ozer held out a hand and helped Wats to his feet. “You did good. But what can you learn from your defeat?” Ozer asked. Wats looked frustrated and Ozer wasn’t sure he would get an answer. Then he saw the boy’s attitude shift from one of frustration to contemplation. In a begrudging tone Wats finally answered, “I assumed I had won because I had knocked the weapon from your hand. That is where I lost my advantage.” “And?” Ozer asked. In unison they both responded, “Our body is the only weapon we can count on.” Ozer clasped Wats by the arm, “Even in failure you can find success.” Wats shook his head in acknowledgment, but Ozer could tell the defeat still stung. “Why don’t we call it a night? It’s been an eventful day and I think we could both use some rest.”

Wats room was dark except for a single light on his bunk the illuminated his face. He couldn’t sleep. There had been too much that had happened that day. His parents being called away, getting beat by Ozer, almost dying at the hands of the taxi driver, the fight in the alley, the man with the cane, and the book. He shot up like a bullet out of bed. The book, he had completely forgotten about it. He fished around in his pocket and retrieved the small leather bound volume. This might help him clear his mind and allow sleep to finally find him.

Three hours later he was still no closer to sleep than he had been earlier. Although at least now he had learned of some new legends and myths of earth and would stow them away for later research when time allowed. Maybe a movie would help him clear his thoughts. Old Earth movies were a specialty of his. He had collected thousands over the years while traveling with his parents. Most were data files he collected from the hard drives of crashed ships. No one else found any value in them, but to Wats they were like finding a buried treasure. Many of the films had sparked ideas for his inventions, like the six-shooter he was working on and the whip. Something in his mind clicked when he thought about the whip and the lesson Ozer had reminded him about earlier. Suddenly a thought popped into his head and he knew sleep would have to wait. Wats ripped the covers off and leapt out of bed. He had work to do.

Later that night Nolan finally arrived at her apartment on the 33^rd floor. She was exhausted and couldn’t wait to rest from the day’s labors. She pulled out her key card and placed it on the scanner. A red light flashed and quickly changed to green. Click. Her door unlocked and she pushed the door open. She walked in and closed the door behind. A sigh of exhaustion escaped her lips and her body relaxed. There was no way she could make it to her bed so her couch would have to do. She took the few short steps over to the couch and slumped down into it.

Her body was beginning to feel the stiffness in her back from sitting down all day. Even though she wasn’t performing physical labor, driving people around Taured wore her out. She wanted to just forget about the world for a few minutes and let sleep take over. Unfortunately sleep would have to wait just a few minutes longer. Bzzzz. Her transmitter buzzed to life in her pocket. Annoyed she retrieved from her pocket and swiped open the message. Who could be sending her a message at this time of night? Her brow furrowed when she read the message from Dunc, a sort-of middle man who helped her find work. He had arranged a pickup for her first thing in the morning. It was nice being her own boss, but it was difficult relying on other people to provide her with work. If sleep did find her tonight, there wouldn’t be much of it.

She swiped the message from the screen and removed the looming dread of an early morning for at least a little bit. She stared at the screen, lost in a thoughtless moment. A folder icon on the screen brought her mind back into focus. The folder contained information that had changed her life for the better. A smile crept onto her face as she thought about the pictures within the folder. Another peek woudn’t hurt. In fact, it would help reassure her that she had made the right choice just a few months ago. She clicked on the folder and several pictures popped up on the screen. They were ultrasound images that showed two small babies. They were her babies, twins. Instinctively she placed her hand on her stomach and caressed it gently. She spoke in a soft, gentle, but confident tone, “This is hard, but I know you’re worth it.” 

The Archivist Chronicles: Chapter 1

by T.B. Anderson

copyright Tyler Anderson

The library was expansive. The walls were lined with shelves extending from the floor to the top of the vaulted ceiling and each shelf was lined from end to end with books. Wats was lost in scanning over the titles of each book, stopping briefly at the ones that caught his attention. There was so much history contained on each shelf, of not only Archon, but of hundreds of other worlds including Earth. Which was the whole reason Wats was standing there in the library today. His father, Dallimore, and his mother, Ashe, were senior archivists for the Earth Preservation Council. They had come to Archon to meet with Ward, a very influential member of Archonite society and owned the very library they were standing in.

It had been almost 200 years since earthkind had left the dying planet and been scattered among the unknown regions of universe. Wats had come to know that historic moment simply as The Event. From the moment Earth’s ships landed on inhabitable planets they had set a course to scour the planets in search of other ships and preserve the history of Earth, and thus the creation of the Earth Preservation Council. An archivist was a calling only given to the brightest and bravest descendants of Earth and they were trained from a very young age. Dallimore, Wats father, was the epitome of an archivist. His training started at the age of six and he had excelled in every aspect of his calling.  His personality matched the vigor with which he carried out his duties. Despite his serious and matter of fact personality, Wats knew his father loved him. The rare smiles that crossed his lips were reserved only for Wats and his mother.

Dallimore and Ashe were deep in conversation with Ward for some time before they noticed Wats had wandered away. “Watson,” Ashe called, “will you please join us over here?” Wats was lost in his own daydreams, imagining what new information was waiting within the pages of these books for him to discover and lead him to his next adventure. “Wats!” his mother called more sternly this time. The tone of her voice and use of Wats preferred name snapped him out of his daydream. He turned to face his mother knowing she had probably called his name one too many times for her liking. He gave her a sheepish grin. This was his way of telling her he was sorry. Ashe accepted his silent apology and beckoned for him to join her and his father on the other side of the room, along with Ward.

            Wats knew it was important for him to take part in these types of conversations as part of his training to be an archivist. He only had three more years until he turned 19 and would need to be ready to accept his calling. Wats wanted to follow in his father’s footsteps and be an archivist more than anything, but sometimes he got in his own way with his daydreams. He had to control that better.

            Wats made his way across the room and stood next to his mother. She gave him a loving smile and placed her hand gently on his back. He knew his mother took her calling as a senior archivist as serious as his father, but she smiled and laughed a little more than he did. They were the perfect combination. Different enough to have a diverse view of their work, but similar enough that they worked well together, both in their marriage and as archivists.

            “As you can see I have searched diligently to find many of these books that were brought to Archon by our ancestors,” Ward stated eloquently. He continued, “Some of these volumes have even been in my family for almost 200 years. My great, great grandmother was aboard The Maiden when it landed here. She was only a child at the time, but her parents had wanted to ensure that she did not forget about where she came from. I don’t think they could have ever foresaw what a heroic act that actual was.” Dallimore nodded in agreement and spoke, “We appreciate your generosity in allowing us to see the originals and make scans of them. And as you are already aware, the council would like to have as many original copies as possible but understand this is not always possible, as some artifacts hold family value. But, if there are any you would feel able to part with we would be happy with anything.”

            “Actually, I do have one item I know I am willing to part with, as a gift,” Ward responded. Wats watched Ward as he walked over to a section of the library he had been perusing early and plucked a small book from the shelf. Wats hoped it had been one of the volumes that had caught his curiosity. When Ward returned he caught a glimpse of the title and his suspicion was confirmed. The title read, The Myths and Legends of Earth. This book had obviously been written after The Event, but that didn’t matter to Wats. He loved learning about the mythology of his ancestral planet.  “One of my assistants came across the book while at the local marketplace a few months back. I don’t think the council would be interested in a book about Earth mythology that was written after our arrival to Archon, and I have no use for it either except to gather dust on my shelves,” Ward shifted his gaze to Wats, “but the subject matter may be perfect for a young man seeking out adventure.”

He held the book out to Wats and gave him a friendly smile. Wats returned the smile, along with some eagerness in his gaze. He knew it would be hard for him to hide his excitement, but he must do his best not to embarrass his father. He reached out for the book but stopped short. Would his father actually let him accept this gift? He glanced over at Dallimore and knew he must get his approval first. Dallimore caught his glance and then broke it to look at Ward. “Your hospitality has been too kind and we cannot accept this gift.” “Please, I insist.” Wats looked from Ward and back to his father. He knew his father would politely refuse the gift, but secretly he hoped Dallimore would ultimately give into the generosity of their host.

Ward broke the brief silence,  “I assure you Dallimore, accepting this gift will have no bearing on my decision to allow you to remove another volume or two from my personal library for the council. I have no children of my own and I have no need of a book that discusses the lore of Earth.” “We appreciate your generosity. Thank you,” Dallimore gave an approving nod to Wats. Ward extended the book a little farther and Wats retrieved it from his outstretched hands.

“I will leave you to your task now and will ponder upon the council’s request. I will provide you with an answer once you’ve completed your assignment.” Ward bowed slightly to Dallimore, “If you will excuse me. I have other matters that require my current attention, but if you need anything please feel free to speak with my assistant and make any request through him.”

            Dallimore bowed and nodded his head, “Thank you again for your hospitality.” Without another word Ward left. Now Dallimore, Ashe, and Wats were alone in the library. After the doors closed behind Ward, Dallimore turned to his wife and son. Wats could sense the familiar eagerness in his father’s eyes. It was the same eagerness Wats displayed with the book, but knew exploring the pages within would have to wait.  

            Hours later Wats finally emerged from Ward’s estate. As the doors closed behind him he took a deep breath of the fresh air. He loved the smell of old books as much as his father and mother, but he also craved the fresh air because it offered the opportunities of adventure. Dallimore had asked Wats to meet up with the captain of their ship, Ozer, who also happened to be Wats’ s tutor and trainer for hand-to-hand combat and weapons. That was an important part of being an archivist. While much of their job consisted of searching for and studying ancient texts from Earth, they also had to know how to protect themselves. There were many hostile planets within the quadrant and they never knew what type of reception they would receive from the locals.

            Ozer would be waiting for Wats at one of the local watering holes and he wasn’t sure what condition he would find him in. While he was a terrific captain and mentor, there were often demons in a bottle waiting for him. The air was humid tonight, which caused perspiration to run down Wats forehead. As he wiped away the droplets Wats looked up and caught a glance of some of the local species of birds flying among the tropical trees that lined the street that lead away from gate to Ward’s estate. They were amazing species whose feathers featured bright colors, which made it easy to spot them.

Wats wandered the streets, occasionally steeling a glance at his tablet to ensure he was heading in the right direction. The city was buzzing by him and he hardly noticed because he was lost in his thoughts as his mind raced with anticipation to discover what new information lay hidden within the books pages. But he knew he had to meet up with Ozer first or else his father may take it back, and who knows when he would return it.

The tavern was buzzing with conversation, but Ozer sat alone in silence at the end of the bar, staring into the murky liquid of the glass in front of him. He wondered just how much longer he could fight the urge. How long had it been, seven or eight months? He knew it didn’t matter how long it had been, it just mattered that he was sober. The day Dallimore threatened him was etched into his mind. The words had been harsh that day but he knew Dallimore was only trying to save him from continuing down the destructive path he was on. Ozer knew he had made the right decision to choose sobriety. Wats was like a son to him and he couldn’t abandon him. He had to test himself every once in a while to make sure he was strong enough. Today he was strong enough.

The gruff voice of the bartender snapped Ozer from his musings, “Are you going to drink that or date it?” “I don’t need it any longer.” Ozer pushed the glass toward the bartender. Annoyed, the bartender takes the glass back, “You still have to pay for it.” Ozer would pay up. There would be no issues today. He was just grateful he was still strong enough. He pulled out his credit transmitter and held it up to the bartenders. Once the ten credits were transferred the bartender smirked and downed Ozer’s drink in one gulp. Ozer returned the smirk with a sincere smile and then left the bar.

The sleek metallic buildings, each with their own unique architectural twist, loomed over Wats as he continued on his way to meet Ozer. The city was still buzzing with activity as the end of the day approached. Wats stopped at an intersection and looked down at his tablet. He would need to take a right here to meet Ozer at the rendezvous point he had sent him earlier. When he looked up again he barely avoided walking in front of a scrambler zooming by.

A scrambler looked similar to the motorcycles in the old Earth films Wats would watch when he was aboard the ship, except scramblers had no wheels and glided several feet above the pavement. Wats hoped his father would let him try one before they left Archon. He watched and awed at the gracefulness the rider operated the vehicle around the corner. The rider hugged the corner of the street narrowly avoiding several other pedestrians. Wats watched as everyone one of the pedestrians dived away except one.

For Wats it seemed as if time had slowed down. He watched the man and the scrambler as only inches separated them. The man stood there as still as a statue, without flinching in the slightest. Besides not being affected by almost being run over, this man was peculiar. He carried a cane tightly by the shaft in his right hand, which was wrapped in a cloth up to his wrist. It was a clean bandage and didn’t look to be covering up any actual injury. The cane was a silvery-gray color with a closed fist for a handle. His clothes were nothing out of the ordinary, but his demeanor was. It was as if he wasn’t even present in the situation to notice the danger he was in. There was also a strange look in those dark eyes of his.

Wats was snapped back to the present by the sirens screaming from behind him. He glanced over his shoulder to see local law enforcement on their scramblers speeding up the street from the same direction the rider had come from moments earlier. Wats watched the law enforcement turn at the intersection and continue their pursuit. They were not as graceful as the rider, and one of the enforcement officers almost flipped his bike attempting to take the corner at such a high speed.

Once they quickly disappeared out of sight Wats looked for the man with the cane, but he was gone. All that was left were angry pedestrians cussing after the officers. Wats scanned the entire intersection hoping to locate the man with the cane. There was just something off about him and Wats curiosity had gotten the better of him. Finally he caught a glimpse of the man down the street a little further just as he disappeared into the alley between a two buildings. He hesitated for a moment wondering if it was really the best idea for him to follow a strange man in a place where he was considered a stranger himself, but that hesitation quickly faded as thought of the adventure waiting for him just across the street. He checked the intersection for traffic and when it was clear he darted across the street and disappeared into the alley.

When Wats entered the alley there was no sign of the man with the cane. It was long and dark, with very few doors leading into the space. The sun had set completely and left him in almost complete darkness. He pulled out his tablet to provide him some light in order to navigate the dangers that may lurk ahead of him. Wats had traveled a few hundred yards down the alley when he heard a faint splash behind him. At that moment he knew he had made a mistake. He had been so concentrated on the finding the man with the cane that he had forgotten to pay attention to the rest of his surrounding.

Wats slowly turned around to see a group of five people. He assumed they were cutting off his only means of escape, since he had no idea if this alley led to a dead end or not. Wats had to squint to make out the figures in the dark since the faint light from his tablet was barely bright enough. However, it did provide enough light to illuminate the metal blades of the knife each member of the group carried.

Ozer would be disappointed to find out Wats had let someone catch him by surprise. Maybe he wouldn’t have to tell him though if he could get out of this without a scratch, but that was highly unlikely and he knew it. The odds were not in his favor. But Wats did have the element of surprise on his side. To this gang he appeared to be unarmed, but they didn’t know about his personally modified earpiece. While he didn’t have any weapons on his person, the earpiece gave him access to a few tricks he had up his sleeve. Wats slowly adjusted his footing to provide him a firm defense stance.

The leader stepped forward and adjusted the dark glasses he was wearing. They were night vision optics. This would give Wats the upper hand, at least for a few brief moments. He grinned slightly at the thought, but erased it as quickly as it had appeared. He didn’t want to look to eager for this fight, that might encourage them to be more aggressive than they already were. The leader spoke in a raspy tone with a slight accent, “It seems you picked the wrong place for an evening walk. But we don’t mind, do we?” That garnered a few chuckles from the rest of his group. Wats wanted to show them he wasn’t afraid, but that wasn’t completely true. He had only been in one fight previous to this and it was just a scuffle with another archivist’s son. This was different. “I seem to be lost, would you mind pointing me in the direction of the Grey Tavern?” With a hint of amusement, the man in the glasses answered, “Oh, I don’t think you’ll make it there tonight anyways.” Wats dug his heels into the gravel a little deeper. He was ready for the attack.

The leader lunged at Wats with the tip of the knife pointed at Wats chest. Wats held up his arm in defense and a green light burst from his forearm and formed a round shield. The knife slammed into the green surge energy and stopped the man dead in his tracks. The leader covered his eyes with his free hand. The burst of light caused the night vision glasses to momentarily blinded his attacker. This provided Wats with an opportunity. He didn’t waste a moment and lunged forward with his shield and knocked the man to the ground.

The other four members looked down at their fallen leader and then back to Wats. They acted quickly and circled around Wats, but didn’t attack. They were waiting just for the right moment. Wats rotated his feet and his eyes darting to each attacker. He was looking for any sign of their waiting attack. The dance had only just started when the group decided it was time to finish it. All four leapt at Wats. Wats’ arm moved above his head and the green shield exploded with more energy, extending it over him and all the way down to the ground. Each knife hit the shield and was deflected.

 The leader was slowly getting to his feet. He shook his head in an attempt to wipe away the fog from his mind. He looked at Wats, now protected by the energy field and the rest of his group growled at Wats in frustration. The leader searched the ground for his weapon. He found it a few feet away next to the wall. The leader scuffled across the ground and picked up the knife. He was about to stand up when he caught something moving out of the corner of his eye. A fist connected with his jaw and sent him sprawling back to the ground. Ozer stepped out of the darkness and into the light.

Wats caught site of Ozer and yelled his name. This drew the attention of  the attackers and Ozer wasted no time. Two members of the group charged Ozer and he easily dodged the first swipe. He seized a woman by the arm and whipped her around, using her momentum to slam her into the second attacker. The force sent them both to the ground in a heap.

The fourth member of the group was confused. He wasn’t sure if he should go after Wats, Ozer, or run. Wats took advantage of this momentary distraction. The energy field protecting him shrunk back into the round shield. Wats lowered it and charged the remaining attacker. The man’s focus was on Ozer and he saw Wats charging at him to late to dodge. Wats hit him with all the force he could muster and drove him back into the wall. The man’s head smacked against the metal and he crumpled to the ground. Wats heard the shuffle of feet behind him and turned to see the final attacker lunging at him with his knife outstretched. Wats held the shield up and the man crashed into him and sent them both sprawling to the ground. The shield disappeared. Wats mind was swimming. He tried to lift himself off the ground but he couldn’t think straight. The final attacker approached Wats and stood over him, panting. He raised the knife, but was surprised when he tried to slash down with the knife and couldn’t. Ozer had snactched his wrist and then twisted it behind the man’s back. The man lost the grip on his knife and clanked to the ground. Ozer pushed the man towards the wall with the intent to smash him into it. But the man caught him of guard by ran up the wall and then flipped over Ozer, breaking his grip. Ozer spun around and his jaw was rewarded with a fist to his jaw. The force of the blow caused him to stumble back, but he steadied himself with his hand on the wall.

Wats’ mind finally came back into focus. He held up his arm and the shield appeared again, flooding the alley with the green light. He saw the final attacker advancing on Ozer. He wouldn’t be fast enough to reach him before he got to Ozer. There had to be some other way to get his attention. He scanned the ground quickly and his gaze fell on an empty can littering the ground. Without hesitation he picked it up and chucked it at the attacker. Wats knew the can wouldn’t do much, except maybe give Ozer the distraction he needed.

It worked. The can hit the attacker in the head and he looked in Wats direction for just a brief second. Ozer raised his foot and it connected with the man’s stomach with such force it sent him flying backwards. The man hit the ground and rolled a few times, finally coming to a stop. He looked up to find Ozer, but it was too late. Ozer was on top of him in a second, his fist connecting with the man’s face and sending him into the darkness of unconciousness.

The five attackers now lay in heaps on the ground. Wats got to his feet, his shield still lighting the alley. “How did you find me?” Ozer pointed to the broken tablet that lay on the ground. “When you didn’t show I retrieved your last location. I figured you had wandered off as usual.” He gave Wats a reassuring smile. “Why don’t we get back to the ship before your parents arrive, we don’t want them thinking we’ve wandered off and gotten ourselves into trouble now do we?” Ozer gave Wats a reassuring smile that this would be their secret. Wats nodded in agreement. He was grateful for the discreetness of his teacher.