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.
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