Chapter 11

Departure

A message came up for all beings of Nuva to see.

Today marks a historical event in Nuva. The humans have killed seven tyters, and the last one fled the battlefield, accepting shame and defeat. The humans are the third race to defeat the hunters, and they defeated the most elite squad the predators have. Humans will now populate Nuva with exemption from further hunts.

Graul looked at the others. “What does that mean?”

“I don’t know. What do we do now?’”

Brun asked what they were all thinking- “Do we leave Torger and Rome and try to figure out how to get back to Earth?”

Everyone shrugged as Antic climbed back to his feet still clutching his stomach. The chain mail and leather protecting it did little to dampen the powerful blow. They didn’t have the scroll and were dejected. They talked for a few seconds then Ristopan appeared before them.

“Well done my apprentices! You have earned your freedom. If I may, I need a hair sample from each of you, then you may go back to your own planet.”

Brun spoke up. “Why do you need our hair, and what about our friends?”

“I need the hair for your DNA. The tyters will use it to make clones and breed humans here. Without your DNA they will bring a thousand males and a thousand females from your planet here against their will to populate this planet. As for your friends, you have always known one of you would not be going back. The scroll I gave you is for six people, not seven, since you did not complete your ‘Kill a thousand goblins’ quest. That someone is Rome, who isn’t here. As for Torger, they are holding him ransom as payment for me assisting you. Arden and Jex are safely back on Earth, but I will convince the tyters to send you home. I need to go meet Commander Karzik to negotiate Torger’s release. Captain Shug will be furious and ashamed at his failure, and blame it on me. His entire squad has respawned on Karzik’s ship, and they will return to their home in lifelong shame. This conversation will be lively to be sure, but that doesn’t concern you. Go now and return to your planet. Step into the portal and wait for them to send you home.”

Graul stepped up. “I’m not leaving without my brother!”

“That is your choice. You could stay if you wish, but you will not get another chance to return to your home world. Your choice is permanent.”

Antic yelled out “I’m going back!”

Brun looked at Graul then Antic. “Graul, you can’t help him. Come back home with us.”

Graul thought for a few seconds. “What will happen to him?”

“Torger and Rome will be my apprentices. For the first six months they will live with me, then they will need to move a hundred or more miles away from me and each other. We will meet with each other for a few hours once a week. They will each be given a small territory as governors under me. If you stay, you too will live alone and meet with us once a week.”

“That sounds lonely.”

“Yes, a bit. But I will turn them from mages into wizards, and wizards cannot safely live near each other. The amount of mana we control gets- disrupted. I know you know nothing of how mana actually works, but I will teach them, and perhaps you if you stay. I will teach you many spells, and how to create new ones and how to break out of your level caps. But you need to make your decision soon. The commander awaits me.”

Graul looked at his friends. Brun shook his head. “Don’t stay. You’ll be lonely and bored.”

Graul ultimately agreed with Brun. “I have a life at home. This world is interesting, but it’s not for me. If there is ever a way to send them back, please do it.”

Ristopan nodded. “The scroll I gave you can be created once every hundred years. If I don’t find a way to return them before then, I will give them the chance then.”

“We won’t be alive in a hundred years!”

“No, but in that time they will age only two years. Rejecting my offer Graul is rejecting a four thousand year life span.”

Graul shook his head. “That’s not what I want. It’s going to be what, twenty years before the cloned humans will be old enough for me to find a wife? I want a family.”

“No Graul, it will be a hundred years before they are ready to start breeding. They have to make multiple tests to eliminate negative effects of inbreeding, and even then their life span, like the elves and dwarves will be three hundred years. In your life you will be able to outlive a dozen wives.”

Antic stepped up. “I want to live a long time. Maybe I should stay?”

Ristopan looked sternly at him. “Antic, no. Request denied. You have been longing to leave every day you’ve been here. I won’t have you spend millennia here in a miserable state. Go home like you’ve always wanted to.”

They all agreed to go home, Antic being torn between wanting to stay or leave. Having the choice made for him relieved any self inflicted pressure he would have otherwise always had, doubting if he had made the right choice, whichever choice it was. Ristopan stepped into the glass tube, and disappeared. The humans followed him into the building and stepped into the glass case. It closed around them, but nothing happened. They figured Ristopan was negotiating their release. A half hour later a pale green light sent them home.

Rome was looking at the footprints on the sands of Long Beach, trying to figure how to get across the channel when the message appeared. The tyters were defeated, and one fled from battle. Rome was left alone, stuck here by himself. It had to be someone, but a wildly shot laser made the choice for him. He sat down knowing he had a lonely life left to live. Depression settled on him and he sobbed.

Torger was tied to a chair that was way too big for him. He was alone in a conference room when Ristopan, Shug, and Karzik walked in. The lizards glared at him, but Ristopan gave him a wink. Torger had no idea what tortures might lay ahead for him, and he prayed for a swift death.

The next day Torger, Ristopan, and Rome were sitting in Ristopan’s keep. They all had huge smiles on their faces. “Welcome to day one of your training my apprentices. It has been hundreds of years since I’ve had an apprentice, so forgive me if I am a bit rusty. But I do remember lesson one. Food! This week you will cook using only magic. For starters I need to teach you the levitation spell. Then we will go on to accelerated plant growth. After that we will break your level caps…”

The next day Ristopan awoke them early in the morning. “Guys get up. You will want to see this.”

They walked out to a high balcony. The keep was a tower five stories tall, and they were on the fifth floor. At first there was a distant speck in the sky. It grew in size as it grew closer. They saw that it was an enormous space ship. Then there were a few others in the distance. The ships shot out blue beams that scanned the earth. When a beam hit the shield of the keep it locked on. The entire tower, all around the shield including the gardens, rose into the sky! Hundreds of feet up. Torger looked toward Lake Tahoe and his heart was heavy. They had tricked their elf friends into fighting a hopeless battle. Ristopan saw him.

“Torger, you were doing what your primary mission was. You were helping your human friends get home. And you succeeded in your task, almost perfectly.” He glanced at Rome. “You have always known you would sacrifice your freedom for your friends’ benefit. As for the elves, they joined the fight willingly. The offer was a good offer. It was possible they might have killed a tyter and received Bone Crusher, but they took on the top rated squad the predators had. They chose their destiny knowing the risks, and it didn’t work out in their favor.”

“What will happen to them?”

“The Pomo tribe is now too weak to stay together. I will speak with Lagwil today. After the terra forming I will tell them where to go to join another tribe.”

Torger nodded but was still sad. “Thank you Ristopan. I want them to live peaceably and safely.”

Ristopan smiled and nodded. A few seconds later he gasped. “Oh Besty! Besty come home now!”

Torger looked out. The first of the terra forming began to take place. Grasses withered and faded, and trees changed from evergreens to acacias. Mountains seemed to melt down into hills and clouds blew in and began raining like a warm spring day. Streams formed and the rain grew stronger. A rumbling was heard as the Giant Sand Snake moved underground to get in the safety of the shield, directly under the tower.

From their high vantage point they watched the slow transformation for hours in silence as the blue beams from the ships changed the landscape an acre per second. Torger saw an indigenous coyote transform into a similar creature that was fatter, slower, and bigger. He saw a deer in the distance get changed to something that looked like a large porcupine, and a rabbit grew a third pair of legs and its ears shrunk. Not only was the land changing, the indigenous prey were changing to match the home world of the next tyter prey. Finally the ships moved into the distance changing the land all around the globe. The entire keep settled onto a hilltop with a great panoramic view of an alien rain forest. Ristopan invited them back inside.

“It looks like it’s trolls this time. Back to their regular schedule.”

“What do you mean?” asked Rome.

“As you’ve heard, they have a hunt once every three years. Each hunt has a specific prey for them to hunt, and it goes in order. After humans, it is trolls. The trolls get three years to level up then tyters will come to hunt them.”

“That doesn’t sound very kind,” complained Rome.

“No, but don’t judge another’s society too quickly. The tyters are instinctual hunters, it’s what they do. Squads train together to get the most points to get the best gear they can afford, then they get points from their hunt here. The more points they get here, the more honor they get in their society at home.”

“One team every three years? Wouldn’t they have far too many hunters?”

“I have not been told directly, but tyters have hinted to me that there are hundreds of planets like this. But enough of them. Torger, as part of negotiations to free you, I had to agree to something on your behalf. The tyters want to know if you won due to skill or by my assistance. They have placed a challenge to you both. First, is easy. Kill all of the prey that Shug’s team did not. There are hundreds of them in my realm, but I’ll tell you where they’re at. More dangerous is the dragon. After the killing of hundreds of goblins near Lake Tahoe, multiple Grand Liches appeared, and together they raised a dragon. They died in the process as usual, but the dragon must be destroyed. It is still young, level forty, but they have high strength and magic resistance, with tough scales. Far to the south of us the tyters will create a volcano, bringing more Grand Liches from the death, who will die by raising a second dragon. Your job is to train with me six months then kill both dragons, as proof of my successful apprenticeship. Your failure will allow Shug to say you won because of my intervention. You must succeed. Now let’s continue with your training.”

Three years later Ristopan, Torger, and Rome were standing on a hill overlooking Home. Rome asked “Why are we here?”

“We are here, my friend, because the dwarf Thirrell has gotten too big for his britches. He has been terrorizing the tribe and rules with an iron fist.”

Torger shook his head. “I taught him to keep morale high. Where did I go wrong?”

“You only had six months to train him. Shortly after that he usurped Baybil’s position of tribal chief. He likes control.” Ristopan looked at him. “So do you.”

Torger shook his head. “I like controlling the aspects of my own life. I never wanted to lead or be led.”

“Yes, and that what makes the life of a wizard so natural to you. You control everything around you while in near isolation. But now we need to go rescue my subjects.”

“Why didn’t you rescue them when Small Foot was in charge? They certainly needed help then.”

“I’m ashamed to admit I didn’t really care that much then. It was you killing him that made me sit up and take notice of what’s been going on in my own realm. I had been slumbering, but you humans renewed vigor in me.”

They walked down the hill, and outside of the village Ristopan called out in a magically enhanced booming voice “Come to me my dwarves! Today will bring changes in the Cucamonga tribe.”

There was no response at first, and after several minutes, Thirrell and twenty strong dwarves came out dressed in full battle armor. Thirrell called out “How may we assist you, my lord?”

“Thirrell, I have judged your deeds these past three years and sense there is greed in your heart. You are an opportunistic tyrant and today I relieve you of your command.”

“My lord, greed is in the hearts of all dwarves. It is our way.”

“Yes, but so is the sense of protecting your kinsmen and families. Instead you have driven most of the tribe into near slavery with your abundance of punishments and high taxes. They fear you too much to rebel of their own accord, so I have taken it upon myself to replace you.”

“It is not your place to decide the tribal chief! It is the will of the council.”

“IT IS MY PLACE to protect my dwarves! The will of the council was corrupted by your bribery and blackmail! Stand down before your lord!”

“You will have to wrest control from me.”

“So be it.” Ristopan didn’t threaten or yell the last. He sighed with a heavy heart at what was about to happen.

Torger and Rome each walked forward, and the twenty-one dwarves ran at them, murder in their hearts. All three wizards cast Shield 2, then pumped the shield full of mana increasing the strength of the shield and the spells protecting it. All the dwarves were surrounded by the one massive spherical shield, but some tried to break it by swinging their battle axes at it. The shield had a thousand health points and a level two of each black magic spell. All the dwarves were hit multiple times, once from each of the initial five axe swings. They all were hit with Fire 2, Ice 2, Lighting 2, Slow 2, and Poison 2. Then they all collapsed on the ground in pain, with half their health remaining.

Ristopan walked forward casually and said in a low voice “Do not fight us. These two wizards have together killed two dragons. You stand no chance against them.”

All Thirrell’s personal guard laid down their weapons. Thirrell went into a rage and pounded on the shield until he collapsed dead from the counter spells. Then the wizards dismissed the shield.

“Arise dwarves. I will spare your lives even after you attacked me, a son of Muldwil, yet for your offense you shall be slaves for life. Remove your armor and walk straight to the coal mines fifty miles to the east. By the time you get there, the guards will be expecting you. You do not want to fail to report the day after tomorrow.”

They all bowed their heads and removed their armor. As they were doing that, Ristopan cast the most powerful spell his brothers in their four thousand year history had ever developed: Revive. Life reentered Thirrell. A minute later Ristopan called for a runner to go fetch Baybil. An hour later there was a celebration as Torger himself reinstated Baybil as tribal chief.

At the dinner that night Ristopan sat bolt upright. “Torger, Rome, I sense Brun is in trouble. I must send you to him right away! Let’s get to the tyter’s portal quickly, and they will send you to him. You’ve been wonderful apprentices but this is good-bye. And you need to know that using the tyter’s portal will cost you each twenty-five levels. But we need to teleport to the portal now!”

Chapter 12

The Journey

Brun woke up stiff all over his body, just like he had every day for the past two years. Out of habit he tried to move his hands but found they were still tied above his head to the upright metal bed. He had spent two years tied to the bed, hands and feet, with metal mesh gloves covering his hands. A nurse walked in to his hospital room to feed him his breakfast. He was constantly reminded of his terrible mistake that day, two years earlier. He wondered how the others were doing. None of them dared to come visit him, and he couldn’t blame them.

After his breakfast his roommate Nikko said “What do you want to do today Brun? Oh that’s right, it will be no puzzles or games for you today. Maybe tomorrow.”

Brun hated Nikko, but he had little chance of getting a better roommate. After all, they were “patients” in a hospital for the criminally insane. Top security. The most elite bad asses in the world. And in two years Brun never engaged in a single conversation with any of the wakkos.

As Nikko stood up to walk to the day room he pulled back his hand as if to punch the helpless Brun, but he looked at the camera and held off. Brun didn’t flinch. Nikko did that every morning, and few in that place were dumb enough to get into a fist fight, or else they would end up tied to a metal board like Brun.

Before Nikko could leave the room, two military police escorted in a tall slender man in an expensive business suit. “Brun Parsons, you will be coming with us today.”

Nikko looked at them in awe as one of the MP’s walked behind Brun and tilted his bed back to roll him away. Nikko said “Take me too! Brun is my best friend! I’ll die without his friendly company.”

An orderly in the room pushed Nikko away, but the man in the business suit looked at him, then checked his clipboard. “Do you have any skills in cooking, hiking, machine repair, or janitorial work?”

“Yes. I clean the bathrooms here and sometimes help wash the dishes.”

The man sighed, but said “Good enough. Cuff him and bring him along.”

Brun started to shout he didn’t want Nikko, but the MP’s told him, in a rather rude way, to shut the hell up. At the entrance to the hospital, a sack was placed over their heads and they were led onto a prisoners bus. Each prisoner was given an injection in the arm and they immediately lost consciousness.

Hours later they were led to a staircase and the sacks were removed. For the first time in two years, Brun was released from the board, and he had to walk up three flights of stairs. His muscles were horribly atrophied, and he hurt everywhere, but he wasn’t going to complain. Wherever he was being led was better than that damn hospital.

Nikko couldn’t stand the suspense and kept asking where they were going until Brun punched him in the nose. The MP’s smiled but made no comments. They walked into a hotel lobby, then took an elevator to the fourth floor. There, it was not a hotel at all, but lined down each side of the hallway was prison cells. It was then Brun’s turn to ask where they were going.

The man in the suit looked at him. “You don’t know? But you filled out the application, and scored in the ninety-ninth percentile for a scout. How do you not know about this mission?”

Brun had to think fast. He hadn’t held a pen in his hand for two years, but whatever this was, it was better than what he had. “I know a little, but the details of the application were a bit, lacking. I didn’t expect to be in a prison cell.”

The man smiled. “Of course the application made only vague references to the mission, but your confirmation letter should have filled you in. Here, take another copy, and good luck.”

The barred door was locked behind him, and Brun began to read the letter, with Nikko reading over his shoulder in an annoying manner.

Congratulations! You have been selected for mission CDY34. You are in the top 1% of applicants for this flight, and your highly developed skills will be valuable to the success of this mission. You will be aboard the Journey 1.1. As a selected applicant, we can tell you the truth about his mission. Forget everything you’ve seen on the news about this ship. Six years ago, cosmologists discovered an anomaly. There is a small moon like structure orbiting the sun, in the same orbital path as Mercury, but it always stays on the opposite side of the sun as Earth. This defies our understanding of physics, and it wasn’t until detailed pictures of the sun from Voyager came in that we saw this small abnormal moon. Further tests showed this was an extra dimensional portal of some kind. Journey 1.1 is the product of seven nations coming together to explore this portal. We don’t know how long this mission will last, but the data we receive from this flight will be invaluable to astronomers for decades to come. Do your part to ensure the resounding success of this mission!

-Gary Jones, Commander of Journey 1.1

“What does that mean?”

Brun treated Nikko the same as he had for two years, by completely ignoring him. An hour later another prisoner handed them a tray of food for dinner, saying nothing but continued pushing the cart away. Brun wanted to dig into his food right away, feeding himself for the first time in two years, but his being there didn’t sit right with him. How had he been “selected” for this honorable trip? His best guess was Graul. Graul had several friends in Silicon Valley who were programmers for major companies. Any one of them could have hacked a government website to get details about mission CDY34, and any of them could have submitted the perfect resume on Brun’s behalf. Brun knew Graul would have the drive to set up any escape possible for his release from that hell. And a jailbreak would have been worthless, his video was shown on every news channel in the world for nearly a month. Thousands of doctors would be clamoring to run all the same tests on him, the same tests as the one he already endured; and what they had done to him... Brun was electrocuted, operated on, blood drawn, poked and prodded dozens of times his first half year in the hospital, with no results that were satisfactory to the team of doctors. All they could find was that his DNA was… mutated. He never told them he was no longer fully human. The glass cased bed buried in the sands of alter-Yuma had seen to that.

Gary Jones read the letter he had signed, but didn’t write. What a load of horse shit! He had graduated college early, became a prison guard, and worked his way up to Warden faster than anyone. He was Warden at age twenty-nine, and since then had transferred to a top federal institution. But two years earlier his life came crashing down when his mom and sister were killed by a madman. He was too career-minded to have a wife, and they were the only family he had. When he was approached for a top secret one way trip, he took only a day to consider the proposal before agreeing to never see Earth again.

Now he was responsible not just for the prisoners, but for the scientists aboard the ship. The first two floors were plush living conditions for the top scientists in the world; twenty from each of nine different disciplines. Geologists, astronomers, botanists, medical doctors, psychologists, entomologists, etc. They all had a vague idea of what the mission was about, and suspected they may never return. The military aboard the ship was impressive. A hundred and fifty elite fighters from five different countries, battle hardened and tested, ready to fight whatever they may face. Gary got a glimpse from a video of what they would face, and it was beyond threatening. But no one could know about that video. No copy was on board. Then there were the prisoners. Exemplary prisoners from all over the world. During the trip they would cook and clean for the scientists. The top three floors housed them in old fashioned cells. They had no clue what was going on, but they all applied to get out of prison. They had non- violent offenses and never got into a fight while in prison, but were facing a minimum of twenty more years incarcerated. When the time came, they would be used as test subjects, or as sacrifices if the military needed to make a hasty retreat.

The truth was they were going to fly into a portal and come out somewhere else in the galaxy, near a planet with lots of alien aggressive creatures. The mission was to collect details of the bio-diversity and send transmissions back through the portal to Earth. But the portal hadn’t been discovered six years ago as the letter said. The ship started being built six years ago. The portal was discovered twenty years ago. Governments sent three probes through it, and all transmitted for only a few minutes before crashing into the planet. Journey 1.1 would likely encounter the same fate. But the scientists were told probes would be making the trips through the portal, and they were not told of the military or two thousand prisoners above them.

Right now the prisoners would be eating dinner loaded with sleeping meds, and sleep through the launch. They wouldn’t know they were in danger until it crashed into the planet. It was imperative to keep everything compartmentalized.