The Archivist Chronicles: Part 1
written by: T.B. Anderson
copyright Tyler Anderson
Prologue
written by: T.B. Anderson
copyright Tyler Anderson
Prologue
Lieutenant
Bask walked briskly down the cold hallway of the space station. A few other
officers passed her by, but she didn’t even notice them. Her eyes were locked
on the tablet in her hands as she swiped through recent status reports. Bask
already knew the latest data wouldn’t provide any hope. The fear and dread
really began to sink in. Had humanity finally run out of time? Bask shook her
head in an attempt to empty her head of those thoughts. This was not the time
to lose focus.
A red warning flashed across her tablet screen.
She tapped it lightly and brought up the message: Barrier breached. Impact t-minus 10 minutes. Bask’s eyes bulged in
shock. So many questions raced through her head. Shouldn’t they still have a
few days left to finish preparations? So many people still remained on Earth,
how would they evacuate everyone? She had to get to Admiral Cross immediately.
Bask broke off into a dead sprint.
Outside the space station was a field of
enormous steel rings as long and wide as a football stadium. Hundreds of small
maintenance ships with workers tethered to them in space suites hovered around
the rings making final preparations. The scientists called them Gateways to the
Cosmos. The only problem with humanities last hope was the scientists had only
theorized about the functionality of the gateways. They didn’t have the time
available to complete and test one; they just had to trust it they would work.
Earth and humanity faced an impending doom coming at them from all angles. Below
the surface of the Earth bubbled a raging storm waiting to explode beneath
their feet. Some people felt they could figure out a solution, but even if they
did what was heading for them from the dark edges of the galaxy would destroy
them anyway.
Above the Earth several massive space
stations floated in its orbit; each one housing thousands of smaller docked space
ships. In the central station Admiral Cross stood on the viewing deck of the
bridge with his hands placed behind his back as he watched the final modifications
on the gateways. He couldn’t help but wonder what events had actually brought humanity
to this impossible situation. The gateways symbolized a leap of faith. Cross
and his team had been persuasive enough to convince Earth’s leader this was the
only viable option. There was no way to know if his plan would actually work,
but he knew someone had to provide a solution, and he was the only one who
stepped forward with a viable, although only theorized, solution. The seed had
been planted and nourished by Cross and he had watched it grow until the
leaders trusted him. Not all of humanity believed in the danger lurking below
the Earth and in the darkness of space, but there were enough people that did,
and if these gateways worked, humanity would live to fight another day.
The doors to the bridge opened and Lieutenant
Bask ran through the entrance, stopping a few feet shy of Cross. “Sir,” she
paused to catch her breath, “we have run out of time.” Cross turned to face her.
“Here sir, look for yourself.” She shared her screen with the main bridge
display. Cross studied the information on the screen with a look of concern.
“This can’t be right? Our intel said we had at least three days to finish.”
“I’m not sure sir, but we have to move up
the launch.”
Admiral Cross stared at Bask for a moment.
There was no time to second-guess his plan now. It was time for action. Cross whirled
around on his heels and barked orders to his crew, “Call back the maintenance
ships. If a gate is not ready, notify the ships affected and assign them to the
closest gateway that is completed. Send a message to all crews and pilots and
tell them to board their ships. Once the crews are ready we’ll advise all
passengers to board. Communicate to the ground crews one Earth to ready the
remaining ships and have them launch as soon as possible.” Cross knew it was
time to take that leap.
Powell watched his monitor to make sure
he kept the ship a safe distance from the gateway allowing his crew enough room
to work. His intercom cracked with static and a dispatcher came across his headset,
“RR-37, pull your crew back in. Debris has breached the shield and is heading
our way. I repeat, pull in your crew.” Powell pushed down the intercom button
and replied in his southern accent, “Copy command. Reeling them in now.” Powell
couldn’t believe it. Even though he had been stuck above the planet for two
years working on the gateways he couldn’t grasp that they were about to turn
them on and travel where no human being had ever been. His thoughts were
interrupted by another communication from command, “Once your crew is on board
pull back to the safe point. Once The Maiden has entered the gateway safely,
you may then proceed to your designated gateway and order in the line.” “Copy.”
He flipped another switch to talk with his crew. “Team, looks like we’re done piddling
around. We’re fixin’ to see if this voodoo science actually works.”
Outside of RR-37 the three crewmembers slowly
floated back towards the ship as their tethered lines were reeled back in.
Without warning a massive piece of space debris slammed into one of the crewmembers,
ripping him from his tether and hurdling him into space.
CRACK! Another piece of debris slammed
into the command deck observation window. A red warning light erupted, followed
by a siren. A spider-web crack quickly spread across the section of glass.
Cross barked an order to his crew, “Seal that section before it shatters!” A metal panel slid down over the broken section.
Cross knew destruction waited for them, but even now he feared that his actions
were too late.
From the Earth below an enormous
explosion erupted across the European Continent. “Sir!” cried Bask, pointing
her finger to the rear-viewing window. Cross spun around on his heals and an
expression of horror consumed his face. Even though was afraid they may be
doomed anyway, he remained calm and asked, “How many of the gateways are
completed?” “Ninety-five percent of them, sir!” Without hesitation Cross moved
to the closest control panel. His fingers moved across the hologram keyboard at
lightning speed. As he typed in the last key in the coded sequence red warning
lights began to flash in every inch of every station.
In the main stations cafeteria small
groups of people were gathered around the tables. The red strobe lights painted
the room in a grim scene. A look of panic quickly spread across each person’s
face. A booming voice sounded across the ship PA system, it was Cross. “Attention
everyone. The time has come. Please head directly for your designated ships.
All ships will launch in 20 minutes.”
Back on Earth ships littered the
tarmac of Heathrow Airport. The warning lights atop their posts bathed the
scene in a red despair. A sea of people poured out from every entrance of the
surrounding buildings and sprinted across blacktop towards their waiting ships.
In the massive crowd a little boy stopped, realizing he’d been separated from
his father. He cried out in terror. A hand reaches out and snagged the
screaming child by the arm just before he was trampled by the stampede. It was
his father. He pulled his son into a quick embrace and fell back into the flow
of the crowd heading to the ships.
The ground shook and knocked everyone off
balance. A massive crack appeared and an explosion erupted from below. Several
of the ships were swallowed up by the large crevasses created by the
earthquake. Several groups of people disappeared into the blackness below with
the ships. Screams erupted from every direction. Mass hysteria had firmly taken
over.
Inside the cockpit of one of the
ships the pilots flips a switch and outside the engine roars to life. The pilot
yelled to his co-pilot over the rumblings of the ground below, “We don’t have
time to wait for everyone to board. We have to close the doors now.” The
co-pilot shook his head in desperate agreement and closed the doors. The co-pilot
pressed down the call button, “We’re taking of now. Hold on.” Passengers in the
cabin of the ship dive for any open chair. Some were able to secure themselves
into the seat while others firmly gripped their seat. The ship lifted up of the
ground and blasted upwards toward the clouds. The surviving ships followed.
Above the Earth on his ship The
Maiden, Cross watched as hundreds of thousands of ships exited the Earth’s
atmosphere. He turned to Bask and asked, “How long until the portals are
ready?” Bask looks down at one of the monitors and replied, “Only a matter of
moments sir.”
Another huge piece of space debris
barrels towards a group of ships. Boom! Three ships exploded on impact.
Cross covered his eyes to protect them
from the sudden burst of light from the explosion. Quickly recovering he looked
back at Bask and snarled, “Get the damn things on!”
The rings surged to life with
electricity crackling inside them and points of energy darting towards the
center. As the energy connected the space that was once transparent has become
a wall of brilliant white light.
Cross took one last look at the
Earth below. It was a sight to behold. Every continent had been shattered into
pieces. It looked like puzzle pieces ready to be ripped apart. He turned away
and focused on the gateway in front of him. Cross said a silent prayer, God help us all, before he gave a solemn,
last command, “Commence.” The Maiden’s thrusters burst into full force and
after a moment’s hesitation, the ship accelerated towards the gateway. The nose
of the ship disappeared into the energy field and a bright light exploded,
consuming The Maiden.
Chapter 1
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.
Chapter 2
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 33rd 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.”
Chapter 3: Nolan
Two
years earlier Nolan first stepped onto the space pilot academy campus. Instead
of residing in Taured, her home for the previous 18 years, she was now a
hundred miles south all alone. The campus was huge and she wondered if this is
where she should really be. But she only hesitated for only a moment because
she knew she was born to fly. All the natural abilities a pilot needed she
already possessed, but now it was time to find out if she had the other
intangibles it would take to be a great pilot.
The campus buzzed with activity and Nolan
was ready to be a part of it. Earlier that day her assigned mentor had provided
her with the directions to the dorms she would be living in for the next two
years. She picked up her bags off the ground and headed for the northwest
quadrant.
The first day of pilot school came
earlier than expected. At zero four hundred hours Nolan’s dorm door burst open.
Nolan shot up out of bed, unsure of where she was at but she quickly cleared
her mind and realized Captain Boschwein was moving down the aisle between the
beds. She quickly slid from her bed and her feet found the icy floor. Boschwein
was barking out orders but she was having a tough time making sense of what he
was saying because her mind was still fuzzy from the sudden jolt from sleep. The
fog left her mind and Boschwein’s words became very crisp and clear. “My job is
to make you the best pilots this galaxy has ever seen and you can’t do that
laying in your bed. Your days will start at zero four hundred hours and end at
twenty hundred hours. Is that understood?” he yelled. Each cadet saluted in
unison and replied with a unanimous, “Yes sir!”
Nolan stood completely still with
her hand holding the traditional salute. The major approached her position and
stopped. His eyes bore into her soul and all she wanted to do was run and hide,
but she forced herself to stay completely still. The major barked at her, “Why
are you here?” She mustered as much energy as she could, “To be the best pilot
this galaxy has ever seen, sir!” The answer seemed to satisfy him and he moved
down the line. When he was far enough away she let out a short sigh, hopefully
only noticeable to her. She did not want to show any weakness. Even though she
had made it this far, the group would be cut down from 100 pilots to 40 in a just
a few short weeks when they faced The Gauntlet.
Boschwein barked new orders,
“Breakfast is down in the mess hall, you have 15 minutes to get dressed, eat,
and be in the classroom before I am.” He walked back past Nolan and to the door,
but stopped short. “And if your not, pack your bags!” And with that, he slammed
the door shut. The slamming of the door triggered a chaos bomb in the room. Cadets
struggled to maneuver around each other, clothes were flying everywhere as they
quickly changed, and plenty of colorful language escaped their lips.
Fourteen minutes and two second
later Nolan was the second the person to sit down. Only one other person beat
her, a woman by the name of Dane. That wouldn’t happen again. Tomorrow she
would make sure she was the first one to arrive, even she had to sleep in her
clothes. She had thought about sitting in the front row of the classroom, but
didn’t want to draw that much attention to herself on the first day. She would
assess the situation and then make the move the following day. Nolan liked to
take control of her life, but her moves were also very calculated and she
didn’t place herself in danger without knowing the circumstances first. For
today the second row would suit her just fine.
Finally, at nineteen hundred hours
she emerged from her final class of the day. This class discussed the early concept
of space travel after the people of Earth, Nolan’s ancestors, crashed on Archon
almost 200 years ago. While space travel has come a long way since than, the
intent was to scare the hell out of them and make each cadet realize that one
wrong move could send the pilot and their crew into oblivion. When earthkind
first made their jump through space to escape a doomed world, they made it
without any clue where they would arrive. It was different now because most
ships built for space travel were equipped with technology similar to the
gateways that would generate a gateway to travel from planet to planet in a
short time.
Nolan was a descendant of the people who
arrived on the Maiden. Her great, great grandmother and grandfather were aboard
it and after themselves living on a strange new planet they worked to integrate
themselves into life here on Archon. Nolan knew her grandmother was brilliant,
and often her mother would tell Nolan how much she reminded her of her great,
great grandmother. When earthkind landed on Archon their technological
advancements were almost two hundred years behind those on Earth, but with the
help of Nolan’s grandmother they advanced quickly and surpassed Earth’s
capability. Nolan’s heritage was one of the reasons she put in so much extra
work to get where she was today. Her great, great grandmother’s rise in Archon
society due to her brilliant mind placed her in influential social circles,
where she also became a prominent member of Archon society.
Her instructor was familiar with her
family lineage and called on her often during the class to provide insight.
Nolan kept her answers brief because she didn’t want to draw any unwanted
attention on the first day. The threatening looks from the other cadets had
been kept to a minimum, which she was glad for. She didn’t want anyone thinking
if she made the top forty percent it had been because of her family ties. She
would prove she belonged when they faced the Gauntlet.
Two months later it was time for the
Gauntlet. The room was dimly lit and it held a hundred round simulators that
were just big enough to fit a single person. Nolan lifted the simulator goggles
and placed them over her eyes. Since the first day of class this was the moment
she had been waiting for, her first opportunity to prove she truly belonged.
Nolan had worked hard and sacrificed to get her ready for this first test.
While some of the other cadets utilized their free time for socializing and
drinking, she studied and trained. She knew she was ready.
The screen in front of Nolan was
dark, but it felt like heat waves from the sun and was causing her hands to
sweat profusely. Discretely she wiped her hands on her pants to give her a
steady grip on the steering consul. Her eyes wandered to her left and right,
scoping out her competition. On her left was Dane, who was the only person in
Nolan’s class who she considered to be an equal. The two shared similar
qualities. Both were natural risk takers, creative, and fast on their feet.
Nolan and Dane had been battling for the top spot for the last two months with
each taking their turn at the top of the leader board. But today only one would
walk away as the clear leader. All the books in the world wouldn’t save Nolan
today, she was going to have to let her instincts take over and the knowledge
she had learned over the last two months permeate her strategies tow win. On
Nolan’s right was Hash. He had asked her to join him for a drink several times,
but she had rebuffed him gently each time. There was no way she could have a
relationship and have the time she needed to concentrate on being a pilot.
Despite her polite rebuffs, they often worked together in class and she
definitely enjoyed his company. She thought maybe after all of this they could
go out on a date. Wait; was this really where her mind was going at this
crucial moment? She shook the thoughts from her head and reminded herself what
she needed to do. First, make sure she was in the top 40 in the event. Second,
she had to win.
Boschwein strode down the aisle
between the simulators. “Please put your glasses on at this time. Your
simulator pods will now close.” Nolan picked up her goggles and placed them
over her eyes. The doors to her pod closed and she was left in utter darkness.
Inside the pod a slight crackle emanated from the speaker and the simulator
screen came to life with a video feed of Boschwein. His voice was stern and his
instructions clear, “This is not a team exercise. You must forget the
friendships and connections you’ve forged during your time here. Today the
cadets in these simulator pods are your enemies. Your job is to prove to me
that you are the best and win. Your focus needs to be one hundred percent locked
in on the task in front of you.” Boschwein’s face turned very serious, “Good
luck to you all. The simulation will now begin.”
The Gauntlet was a simulation that
took place in the desert of southern Archon. It was a beautifully painted red
desert with natural land bridges and arches. The simulated ships were small
A-65 fighters that were designed more for bruising other ships rather than
skillful maneuvering. Nolan knew the academy was very intentional in their
selection. They would have no weapons system and they would have to knock each
other out of the sky to win. Only the best pilots would be able to fly these
ships with skill and not look like a bowling ball crashing through the pins.
Nolan took hold of the steering console
and all other noises faded away. The countdown started to tick away on the
screen. This was her moment and she was ready —three, two, one. The test begun
and her ship sat alone on a cliff overlooking the barren landscape below. She
flipped on her thrusters and lifted off the ground. Her ship had only managed
to get a few feet above the ground when several cadets attempted to ambush her
from the sides. A smile escaped her lips. It was time to show them who she
really was. She hovered and watched the approaching ships. The two vessels were
closing in fast on her, but she had to be patient if this was going to work.
Nolan flipped on the rear thrusters and kicked up dust in her wake. Her ship
easily escaped the attack and the two ships crashed into each other. That was
two down she thought. She wondered if any other cadets had been eliminated so
quickly. There attack had been careless and they had relied solely on the
element of surprise. If they had been paying attention in class they would have
realized a tactic like that only had around a ten percent chance of even
working on someone like her.
Thirty minutes later and Nolan was one of
ten cadets that remained. Nolan was so close to victory that she could taste it.
She checked her radar to see if any cadets were approaching from the rear, but
there was no sign of anyone. She pumped the accelerator and tore off at a break
neck speed. A few seconds later Nolan heard the familiar beeping that indicated
a ship appearing on her radar. She looked down to see which direction it was
approaching from. It was on her right and it was coming in fast. Her eyes
scanned the simulated terrain in front of her and she saw a stone arch in the
near distance. A smile crept on her face and she knew exactly which maneuver
would take care of her next attacker. It was almost too easy that even a slight
chuckle escaped her lips. The ship caught up to Nolan and matched her pace.
After a few seconds of flying side by side the opposing cadet accelerated in a
side sweeping side motion directed at knocking Nolan’s ship off her course.
This was exactly what she had anticipated. As the ship came in to ram her from
the side she quickly maneuvered into a half barrel role, which put Nolan
directly over the other ship, but upside down. The other cadet didn’t even have
time to react to the natural arch bridge ahead of them because they had been so
focused on Nolan. Nolan smiled and watch the ship crash into the rock
formation. Boom!
It was now down to Nolan, Dane, and Hash.
The cliffs and natural stone structures disappeared and gave way to a sandy
desert with rolling hills. There would be fewer opportunities for her to use
the natural landscape as a weapon, and she knew she had to be at her best to
beat Dane. In her eyes Hash was lucky to have even made it to this point. Of
course he was a good pilot, but not nearly as skilled as Dane or herself.
Two blips appeared on her radar. One was coming
from the north on a straight collision course with her ship, while the other
was coming from the southwest direction in an attempt to catch her. She wasn’t
sure who was who, but that didn’t matter because she already had a plan. She
would wait until she knew the ship in front of her was about to fire and would
release her flare bomb to distract her pursuer from behind, and then dive for
the surface and let the other two go down in the cross fire. Nolan watched and
waited until both vessels were close enough. She flipped up the switch to
release her flare. Just a few more seconds more she thought and it would be perfect.
She pressed down on the button, but nothing happened. Her thumb tapped down the
button rapidly a few more times. Still nothing. Her screens flickered and drew
her focus away. It was all the distraction that the other two ships needed.
Hash let his missile fly and it connected. Nolan was out. She couldn’t believe
it and stared at her screen in utter dismay. Moments later Hash received a
direct hit from Dane and he was eliminated. Dane had won. Nolan couldn’t be mad
at Dane, she was a great pilot, but something gnawed at her. It was too
convenient that her controls had gone haywire at the exact moment she was
attempting her maneuver.
She sat in her simulation pod for a few
more seconds because she needed the isolation to gain her composure. She could
hear the muffled hooting and hollering from the other cadets for Dane. Nolan
finally gave in and raised the doors to her pod as light came flooding in. It
took a minute for her eyes to adjust to the light, but she could make out
Boschwein waiving his hands in the air to quiet the room. “Congratulations to
our top three pilots, Cadets Bask, Hash, and our winner Dane. Celebrate your
victory now because tomorrow we start the real thing.”
Nolan watched as the cadets gathered
around Dane to congratulate her. Some embraced her in hugs while other gave her
congratulatory slap on the back. Nolan wallowed in her disappointment and
anyone that looked at her would know not to talk to her. The voices of
congratulation for Dane were like echoes in Nolan’s head. Her mind was running
through the last few minutes over and over again, something just didn’t feel
right. Hash placed his hand lightly on her shoulder, his touch bringing her
back to the present. “We almost had her.” She tried to respond but found that
her emotions were to close to the surface, and this was not the time or place
to let them out. Without a word she brushed his hand from her should and headed
for the door. Hash didn’t attempt to follow her, he knew better. Nolan passed
by Dane without so much as a glance. She was happy for her friend, but she knew
if she had looked at her those emotions would have come bubbling out and she
did not want to be viewed as a petty person. She hoped Dane knew that. The door
in front of her slid open and she quietly disappeared into the hallway beyond.
Chapter 4
Wats was lost in his tinkering, but he did hear the familiar sound of the door to his lab sliding open. He recognized Ozer's footsteps, but decided to play coy and finish making the adjustments to his ear comm. Ozer stood in the doorway, remaining perfectly still. Wats could guess Ozer was thinking that had not learned anything from the previous night. He smiled and placed the ear comm back into his ear and took stock of the situation. Ozer assumed Wats hadn’t heard him come in so that gave him the advantage. His whip handle was holstered at his thigh, ready to be tested. Wats’ fingers twitched to hold it. Now it would be his turn to surprise Ozer.
Wats held his hand out and the whip flew into it, gripping it tightly. In one smooth motion he spun around and slashed his hand toward Ozer. A string of blue energy crackled and lashed out from the whip handle and wrapped around Ozer’s right arm. Ozer stumbled back in surprise, but the tautness of the whip kept him on his feet. He was expecting an electrical shock, but he was surprised to find the energy was a solid form with no shock. Wats could see Ozer was impressed, but knew the satisfaction wouldn’t last long. “This won’t do you much good if I yank if from your hands.” Wats gave a smug reply, “You can try.” Wats moved his feet slightly to help him stand firm. Ozer accepted the challenge and yanked his wrapped arm has hard as he could, but the whip didn’t move and neither did Wats. In fact, Wats didn’t even appear to be holding it. It was as if it was stuck to his hand. A look of momentary confusion crossed Ozer’s face.
“I heard what you said last night and had an idea. What do you think?” A smile began to appear in the corners of Wats mouth. Wats was enjoying this a little too much, but it wasn’t often that he could surprise Ozer. “How’d you do it?” Ozer asked with curiosity. Wats relaxed his body and the energy whip fizzled away, and the handle flew back to the holster on Wats’ thigh. Wats held up his hand and wiggled his fingers like he had casted a spell. “Magic,” he replied with a beaming smile. Ozer looked at him incredulously. “Nah, I’m just kidding you. Magnets and brain power.” Ozer could now see a new thin piece of metal wrapped around the palm of his right hand to accompany the metal plate on his left arm where his shield was. Wats continued with his explanation, “I modified my ear comm to accept commands for magnets I installed in this band. The whip can only function when it’s connected to my biometrics. I can also control the force of the energy. That’s why you didn’t get shocked” Ozer was impressed, “Interesting. I’d love to see it in real action and see how it performs. But that will have to wait. Your parents have completed their jump and would like to chat with you before they enter Solarian’s orbit.” Wats’ mood changed quickly to one of somber. “Lead the way,” he said.
A few moments later Ozer and Wats entered the bridge of the ship. The communication button on the console was blinking red, indicating a transmission was waiting. Wats hesitated for a moment before tapping the button. He hoped the situation wasn’t as dire as the council had made it out to be, but he prepared himself for the worst. Finally he gave into the blinking light and pushed the button. The hologram blinked to life and there were his parents staring back at him, both smiling. A seed of hope blossomed inside and the worry subsided a little, but did not completely disappear.
Wats held his hand out and the whip flew into it, gripping it tightly. In one smooth motion he spun around and slashed his hand toward Ozer. A string of blue energy crackled and lashed out from the whip handle and wrapped around Ozer’s right arm. Ozer stumbled back in surprise, but the tautness of the whip kept him on his feet. He was expecting an electrical shock, but he was surprised to find the energy was a solid form with no shock. Wats could see Ozer was impressed, but knew the satisfaction wouldn’t last long. “This won’t do you much good if I yank if from your hands.” Wats gave a smug reply, “You can try.” Wats moved his feet slightly to help him stand firm. Ozer accepted the challenge and yanked his wrapped arm has hard as he could, but the whip didn’t move and neither did Wats. In fact, Wats didn’t even appear to be holding it. It was as if it was stuck to his hand. A look of momentary confusion crossed Ozer’s face.
“I heard what you said last night and had an idea. What do you think?” A smile began to appear in the corners of Wats mouth. Wats was enjoying this a little too much, but it wasn’t often that he could surprise Ozer. “How’d you do it?” Ozer asked with curiosity. Wats relaxed his body and the energy whip fizzled away, and the handle flew back to the holster on Wats’ thigh. Wats held up his hand and wiggled his fingers like he had casted a spell. “Magic,” he replied with a beaming smile. Ozer looked at him incredulously. “Nah, I’m just kidding you. Magnets and brain power.” Ozer could now see a new thin piece of metal wrapped around the palm of his right hand to accompany the metal plate on his left arm where his shield was. Wats continued with his explanation, “I modified my ear comm to accept commands for magnets I installed in this band. The whip can only function when it’s connected to my biometrics. I can also control the force of the energy. That’s why you didn’t get shocked” Ozer was impressed, “Interesting. I’d love to see it in real action and see how it performs. But that will have to wait. Your parents have completed their jump and would like to chat with you before they enter Solarian’s orbit.” Wats’ mood changed quickly to one of somber. “Lead the way,” he said.
A few moments later Ozer and Wats entered the bridge of the ship. The communication button on the console was blinking red, indicating a transmission was waiting. Wats hesitated for a moment before tapping the button. He hoped the situation wasn’t as dire as the council had made it out to be, but he prepared himself for the worst. Finally he gave into the blinking light and pushed the button. The hologram blinked to life and there were his parents staring back at him, both smiling. A seed of hope blossomed inside and the worry subsided a little, but did not completely disappear.
Dallimore looked at his son with care in
his eyes, “Wats, we aren’t sure how well our communications will be once we
enter the planet’s atmosphere so we wanted to talk with you before. If we cut
out you’ll know why. I’ve sent my notes to your tablet on what I’ve found so
far while copying the texts in Ward’s library. You should be able to pick up
right where I left off.” Wats nodded thoughtfully, “Of course.” Dallimore
smiled at his son, “I knew I could count on you. We will most likely be out of
range of communication for the next few days, but we will try to reach contact
you once we find a secure connection on the surface. We’re in good hands here,
so no need to worry about us.” Dallimore put an arm around Ashe and squeezed.
Ashe looked at Wats, he thought he could see tears in her eyes, but he wasn’t
sure if it was the static of the hologram or real tears. She spoke, her voice slightly
timid, ”Wats, your father and I both love you and know that Ozer will keep you
safe. We have to go now, but we will speak again...” The message cut to static
and the hologram disappeared.
It felt as if there was a frog in Wats’
throat and he was finding it difficult to keep his emotions in check. His
parents had left him with Ozer many times befoe while they went out on
missions, but he couldn’t shake the feeling that this one was different. His emotions
were bubbling under the surface and he wasn’t sure how to handle it. Ozer
wasn’t the type of person he could talk to about his feelings. So he locked
them inside and hoped he wouldn’t have to deal with them.
Ozer stepped up behind him, clearing his throat. “We best get a move on. Mr. Ward is expecting us soon.” Without waiting for a response Ozer turned on his heels and headed for the docking ramp. Wats waited for a moment and then followed.
A half an hour later Wats and Ozer stood at the front gate of the Ward estate. Wats couldn’t believe he had been here just yesterday. With everything that had transpired in the last 24 hours it felt like it had been a week since he was last here, and the effect caused him to look at Ward’s home with new eyes. The estate was on the outskirts of Taurden, but Wats hadn’t noticed just how dense the jungle was surrounding the area. It would be easy to get lost out there or to hide. Yesterday Wats could hear the chirping of the birds, but today they were quiet. Wats found it strange and made a mental note.
Ozer stepped up behind him, clearing his throat. “We best get a move on. Mr. Ward is expecting us soon.” Without waiting for a response Ozer turned on his heels and headed for the docking ramp. Wats waited for a moment and then followed.
A half an hour later Wats and Ozer stood at the front gate of the Ward estate. Wats couldn’t believe he had been here just yesterday. With everything that had transpired in the last 24 hours it felt like it had been a week since he was last here, and the effect caused him to look at Ward’s home with new eyes. The estate was on the outskirts of Taurden, but Wats hadn’t noticed just how dense the jungle was surrounding the area. It would be easy to get lost out there or to hide. Yesterday Wats could hear the chirping of the birds, but today they were quiet. Wats found it strange and made a mental note.
The security monitor buzzed to life with
Ward appearing on the screen. “Good morning gentlemen. Where are Dallimore and
Ashe?” Wats struggled to find the words and before he could respond, Ozer spoke
up, “They were called away. The council has left Wats and I to complete their
work.” Ward considered his answer for a moment before responding, “Very well.
It is disappointing to see the council put another task over mine.” Wats
finally found his voice, “My deepest apologies sir, but I assure you that my
father would not have sent us if he didn’t believe we couldn’t do the job to
his level of satisfaction.” This seemed to appease Ward and he nodded his head,
“Come in.” The screen went dark and the electrical gate vanished. Wats and Ozer
entered the grounds and the gate hummed to a close behind them. The two of them
walked along the driveway and disappeared around a corner, hidden by the dense
forest.
The doors to the library swung open and
Ward entered the room followed by Wats and Ozer. Ward pointed to the far corner
of the library where Dallimore’s equipment was still set up with a stack of
books piled high on a table next to it. “The books on the right have already
been sorted and the ones on the left still need to be digitized and studied.”
Wats walked around the table and took in the scene. His father was meticulous
when it came to work and his workstation showed it. Everything had its precise
place. Ward straightened a stack of papers and looked at Ozer and then Wats,
“I’ll leave you to your work. I’ll check back in on you in a few hours. If you
need anything you can contact my assistant through the comm.” “Thank you Mr.
Ward,” Wats replied. “Please, just call me Ward. I’ll leave you too it.” Ward walked
away from Wats and Ozer and pulled the doors closed behind him.
Once the doors closed Wats turned to
Ozer, “So will you be scanning or searching?” “Neither. I’m the pilot of your
parents ship and your teacher, not an archivist. But I will watch you,” Ozer said
with a smirk. Wats gave him a death stare while he grabbed the first book from
the top of the stack and placed it in the scanner box. Wats pointed an accusing
finger at Ozer, “You know if I was my father you’d be helping.” “Too right,”
Ozer replied with a laugh and took a seat in a nearby lounge chair, “I like
your father. The jury is still out on you though.” Ozer teased. Even though
Wats had known Ozer his entire life, he still had a hard time figuring him out.
He could be serious one moment and teasing him the next, and Wats wasn’t sure
what exactly flipped the switch for Ozer. Wats smiled to himself. Despite the
unpredictability of Ozer’s personality he was happy to have his friendship.
The scanner hummed to life as Wats began
digitizing the book he had placed inside the box. Wats kept his eyes fixed on
the screen as a flood of information swept across the screen. Wats’ unique
ability to consume and comprehend knowledge at an incredibly rapid rate came in
very handy as an archivist. He wasn’t sure if it was a photographic memory or
just quick comprehension. Sure, he would miss a few things here and there, but
he was always able to go back and fill in the gaps later. His focus was on
finding the important pieces, the hidden treasures buried within the pages of
these books. The scanner hummed to a stop and Wats grabbed the next book from
the pile and placed it inside the scanner, setting the first book off to the
side on the pile his father had started of completed books. Out of the corner
of his eye Wats saw Ozer flipping through a few books from a table nearby.
Nothing seemed to be catching his attention and Wats knew before long Ozer
would bored and would venture out for some fresh air, leaving him alone in the
library. While Wats would miss Ozer’z companionship, he enjoyed the silence
because it was when he did his best thinking.
Hours later Wats was alone in the
library. Ozer had only lasted half an hour before he wanted to venture off and
explore Ward’s estate. So far Wats had found nothing remotely intriguing and
everything he had gathered was what he labeled as dry history. He wanted to
find something mysterious or unexplained. This is where his philosophy differed
from the council’s. They wanted to preserve, but he wanted to discover the unexplained.
Someday he would have to figure out what mattered more, but for now as an
archivist in training he could live in both worlds.
Wats reached for another book and found only
one book remained. He picked it up and turned the book over in his hand. The
cover was extremely worn and the spine of the book was barely holding the pages
together. This book intrigued Wats for some reason and maybe there was some
discovery waiting inside. After a momentary inspection, he placed it on the
scanner. The data filled the screen and Wats watched intently. A symbol popped
up on the screen and went away as quickly as it had appeared. A slow
recognition had begun to form in Wats’ mind. He had seen that symbol before, hadn’t
he? Or was he forcing himself to find some mystery? His finger instinctively pressed
down on the keyboard to pause the scan. He touched the screen with his finger
and scrolled back through the information to the symbol. There it was, now
where had he seen it before? It looked like an ‘A’ on its side with three
additional lines spaced evenly above the traditional line.
Wats stared at the symbol for a long time,
struggling to remember where he recognized it. He was so lost in his thoughts
that he didn’t hear the door to the library open or someone enter the room. Moments
later a voice wrenched Wats from his thoughts, “Excuse me.” The sudden jolt
caused him to stumble and fall from his chair, but he caught himself on the
edge of the desk keeping himself from falling all the way to the floor. He
looked up and saw Ward standing just a few feet away. As Wats pulled himself
back into his chair he cursed at himself silently for not hearing Ward enter
the library. With a tinge of embarrassment Wats greeted Ward, “Ward, I didn’t
hear you come in.” Ward smiled, “I ran into your pilot and he said you were working
alone. I thought I would come see how things were progressing. Anything
interesting?” Wats considered for a moment whether he should ask Ward about the
symbol, after all it was his book. There was no need though because Ward walked
around the desk and peered at the image on the screen. “Ah, interesting.”
With a little hesitancy Wats spoke up,
“It looks familiar to me, but I’m not quite sure why.” Ward took a step forward
and pinched the screen with two of his fingers and rotated the image clockwise.
“It’s an ancient Earth symbol for iron,” Ward answered, and then asked his own
question, “which book did you find this in?” Wats pulled the decaying book from
the scanner box and held it up, “This one.” Ward scratched his chin in
contemplation, “I know that book well. Did you happen to read that book I gave
you yesterday?” Wats perked up at the question, “I did.” “What do you recall
about secret societies?” Ward asked. “Specifically it talked about groups like
the Illuminati and the Order of the Dragon. They were supposedly secret groups
made up of powerful people attempting to control governments from the shadows,”
Wats responded.
Wats could see Ward was impressed that he
had already read the book completely through. “I knew I made the right choice
by sharing that book with you. We are alike you and I. Fascinated by the
stories that live in-between the world of fact or fiction. Let me show you
something else.” Ward walked over to one of the book-lined shelves along the
nearest wall and ran his finger across the spine of the books. Wats wasn’t sure
what to expect. Ward seemed more relaxed than he did the day before when he was
speaking with Dallimore and Ashe. There was a slight giddiness to his demeanor.
Ward found what he was looking for and
plucked the book from the shelf and begun flipping through the pages as he
walked back towards Wats. “This book covers the history of Archon from shortly
after the landing of The Maiden, so there would have been no reason for your
father to even consider archiving the contents. But there is a connection
between that symbol you found and this book.” Ward stopped flipping through the
pages, “Ah ha, here it is.” He set the book down in front of Wats and pointed
to a passage, “When The Maiden arrived there were three other ships that also
ended up here as well. But folklore from the southern lands claimed there was a
fifth ship that crashed in that region. Despite all efforts there was never any
evidence found of a wreckage or anyone who had been aboard it.” Ward snapped
the book shut. “My father believed that there was a fifth ship. His great
grandfather, who was aboard The Maiden, would tell him stories about those who
had gone after the fifth ship.” Wats was sucked in, “What were they looking
for?” Ward smiled, “This is where the story is a little fuzzy. Some say it some
great treasure brought here from Earth while others say it is terrible weapon
of mass destruction. Either way it promised great power to those who sought it
out.”
The hairs on Wats neck prickled, but it
wasn’t from the story. Hadn’t the birds been chirping just a few minutes ago? The
air was suddenly to still as it had been when they arrived at Ward’s estate.
Wats interrupted Ward’s story, “Where did you say that you ran into Ozer?” “He
was in the atrium. Why do you…” Ward was unable to finish his question because
at that moment the doors to the library burst open. A group of five men wearing
masks stalked in through the door with their blasters aimed at Wats and Ward.
Ward took a step back towards Wats in an
attempt to shield him from the intruders. Wats didn’t think Ward could do much,
but he wasn’t going to stop him. “What is the meaning of this?” Ward questioned
the men. The man in front spoke first, his voice crackling through the mask,
“We are here for you Mr. Ward. We would like a word with you.” Ward tried to
stand tall, but Wats could see the man’s knees were shaking slightly. “I’m not
going anywhere with you. How did you get past my security?” The response to his
question was the hum of their blasters warming up to fire.
Wats readied his mind for the attack. His
hand was open and ready to use the whip and his other arm was ready to brace
any blaster fire that his shield would catch. At that moment Wats noticed a
symbol etched into one of the men’s helmets. It was the symbol from the book
weaved into the shape of a fist. Suddenly he remembered why the symbol looked
so familiar, it was the same one he had seen on the handle of the man’s cane he
had followed into the alley. Now that he remembered his mind wanted to piece
the puzzle together, but now wasn’t the time.
Ward gulped, “Please, I don’t want any
violence.” Ward lowered the hand that had been in front of Wats to protect him and
began to slowly walk towards the men. Wats wondered where Ozer was at this
moment. Had he not heard the men enter? “I will go with you, but please leave
the boy alone,” Ward pleaded in a worried tone. Wats could see Ward’s hands
were now shaking visibly. This was not going to end well for Wats, no matter
what the group’s response would be. He began to take stock of the exits in the
room. The only real exit were the doors the men had just come through. His only
viable option would be a window.
One of the men in the group produced a black
cloth sack and a pair of handcuffs. There was no way Wats was going to wait for
the men to shoot at him first. They wanted Ward alive, so they wouldn’t risk
killing him. The closest window to Wats was on his right between two sections
of shelving ten feet away from his current position. He would jump out the
window and find Ozer. After that they would figure out what to do together. His
mind was made up but he would wait until Ward was out of the crossfire, and
then he would jump. Two more steps and Ward would be out of range of the
crossfire. Wats wouldn’t need the whip for his escape, so he balled his right
hand into a fist in preparation to break through the glass. One more step. Ward
was out of the line of crossfire and the men momentarily shifted their focus
completely away from Wats. This was his chance.
Wats sprinted for the window and his
energy shield exploded from his left forearm, creating a barrier from the floor
to over his head to protect him from any blaster fire. The men were caught by
surprise and managed to only fire off a few shots. Wats leaped, throwing his
entire body weight and the force of the shield to crash through the window.
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