by Dasrim Hasik
Comments from my readers…
"What a great new sci-fi twist. I loved it. A little bit of Stargate, a little bit of Harry Potter, I can't wait to read the next part and see what happens. Very well written, nice introduction to the series and I definitely want to read more. By Lise"
"Interesting. It's been a while since I've read sci-fi. This one was an easy read, interesting, and seemed to have a bit of Stargate in it. By Gerhild"
"This book is a great introduction into Jacks journey into the mind and the universe beyond. It's a short read...but it definitely sets the stage for an exciting adventure! By Steve Scott"
"I love sci-fi, and I love philosophy. I found that "Rise of Planet Rubicon" to be a nice blend between both worlds -- and even surprising. By KJ Kayles"
Chapter 1: Beginning of the End
Music ruled Jack's life. How could it not? If he didn't have his little mp3 player, he would have to deal with music of a different sort. Broken dishes. Angry voices. Fists massaging new holes into drywall. Doors slamming.
The pressure and pain of living in a cramped home in Southwest Missouri with very few prospects for growth. It was the way it always had been, and Jack knew it wouldn't going to get any better. He knew it the way he knew exactly when the fighting would stop, and when it would pick up again.
The music allowed him to pretend his life was something like normal, where he could listen to soft music and read his books. He found himself lost in a world of music, books, and adventure far beyond what the Ozarks could offer. It wasn't a bad place, just an empty one.
Between the fighting within his family and the world around him, all he really had was nature to look forward to. Yet that was something harder and harder to find. Overtime someone had an idea for a new business that was supposed to bring oh so many jobs, there would always be some developer trying to tear up more of the wild, unspoiled beauty of his world.
A tap at the door brought him out of his thoughts, if only for a moment. It was his older sister, coming to check on him. He winced, not sure if it was going to be a moment where they would fight, or where she would actually understand what he's actually going through.
Katja had moments where she really was nice to him, in ways that made him very happy. However, just as she could be nice she could also be incredibly cruel. It was her way of dealing with the issues in the house.
Jack told her to come in. Told her to sit down and make herself at home. He didn't care for his voice — deep in all the wrong ways, deep in ways that ended up making him the butt of many "creepy stalker from the movies" jokes. He was tired of not fitting in at school, tired of not being left alone to his passions.
He had a few teachers that challenged him in good ways, but the attention always brought more jokes, more stares, and more feelings of pity. He didn't want to be the kid that everyone felt sorry for because his parents bickered over everything under the sun, or because his father could get out of control after a few drinks.
It always made him feel awkward that he didn't come from a normal family. But for the moment, he could at least be pleasant to his sister. He smiled. "What's on your mind, sis?"
Katja was always good for drama. Even though he was the oddball nerd, she was a popular girl at school, dating a great basketball player who was currently scoring big.
He was going places, and everyone told Katja that she should hold onto him. Jack wasn't sure about all of that — how could one really tell whether or not you were going places? How could she really know whether anyone was going places or not?
Katja was only 2 years older than him, almost done with high school. Being cool and fitting in were her priorities. High school was just a distraction — she was hoping that Dan would marry her and become a professional basketball player, securing them for life.
Jack didn't really want to be saved like that. He wanted a chance to build his own future. He had plenty of dreams, just needed soft soil to plant seeds that would grow into bigger and better things eventually. It was only a matter of time before he could branch out, far away from this place.
Katja's voice, soft and trembling, interrupted his ongoing monologue within his own mind. "I decided to move out and live with Dan and his family. I worked it out with Dad — it would honestly help us cut back on expenses, and I can work for Mr. Walker's CPA firm in the office. He says I have the right look for it, and I will even be closer to school. I can just walk."
Jack sensed there was something else at play here. "What's wrong with all of that?"
"You know it's always tense here. I feel guilty leaving you and Mom to deal with...the situation."
That was how Katja always referred to it — the situation, the issues that mixed and merged until it was a big ball of yawn that needed to be untangled. It was something that caused them both a world of pain, but they were never really sure how to dig their way out of it.
It was simply the situation, the way everything worked together to make everything else a living hell on earth. Jack took a deep breath, looking at the walls of his room. He loved this room, loved the way the walls were covered with astronomy photos.
The moons of Saturn and Jupiter, the great wonder that was Neptune, and even many assorted photos of spaceships. Mars was one of his favorite planets. We will never truly know if there is life out there until more exploration is done.
He wanted to go to the big university, major in Aerospace Engineering, make something out of his life. Maybe even work for NASA in some capacity. He wasn't sure if he wanted to go into space, but he was sure that he wanted to see what was out there.
"Are you even listening to me?"
Jack looked up, his green eyes blinking in time to Katja's sharp interjection within his thoughts. "Sorry, I know this is a big decision for you."
Katja waved a hand. "It's no big deal. I'm leaving. You can stay here and deal with it. You're a space case anyway, so I'm sure you won't even notice I'm gone." She stomped out of the room, leaving Jack with a lot of questions.
He worried for his sister, wondered if it was really a good idea to live with your boyfriend at such a young age. He thought about things like that. He clearly wasn't going to be dating anytime soon, but that didn't mean he wanted to see his sister hurt in any way.
It was all about making sure those things were handled in a certain fashion. Jack laid back and tried to make sure that he was thinking clearly about what he wanted for his life.
It was obvious that nobody would be thinking about him. His parents were too busy fighting, and his sister was running to the first safe place she could think of.
If only I could just float away...I wouldn't even care if I had to leave the planet!
Chapter 2: The “Note” Book
Sunset was always one of Jack's favorite times of day, and he had already watched the sun go down. Dinner was tucked away in his belly, though it wasn't really that much. It was never much to eat, because food and money both had to stretch as far as possible. He could always go over Benny's house.
His parents lived in Diamond Hills, the new subdivision just built a few years ago. It overlooked a golf course and Benny never got tired of seeing Jack. Like him, Benny was into science and math, computers and plenty of books. It was like watching iron sharpen iron — the two of them going over theories.
They liked the Three Body problem of physics, and even got excited talking about dark matter and the space-time continuum. Sometimes they put extreme theories out there, like portals and aliens. He didn't really want to go over to Benny's right now.
After Katja's news, Jack figured it would be a good idea to just enjoy the evening, even go to bed early. He didn't waste time easily, getting
cleaned up and showered, then dressed in some casual lounge pants and a sleep shirt. He liked to stay warm almost year around. He wasn't a very big guy, and he lost body heat easily.
Not all of us can be beefcakes like Dan and Paul and all of those other guys that women seem to want. He dismissed those thoughts of out his head and picked up his organic chemistry book. He would read it while trying to fall asleep, as the idea of balancing equations always soothed him when nothing else would.
Jack picked it up off the desk in his relatively small room then winced as the corner of the book cut his finger. It was a shallow cut, nothing to write home about, but it was one more frustration Jack didn't need. Without thinking about it, he picked up the book and hurled it across the room. The book hit the wall and split open naturally, the pages fluttering. As the book fell to the ground, a sheet of paper fluttered out.
It was very small, the handwriting very neat and orderly. You are more than this world. Want more? Sleep and dream of unlocking your real potential. — B. Jack recoiled in confusion, shock, and even a bit of dread. Who would play such a prank on him? He thought about who would get close enough to him in chemistry class to even put something in the pages of his book. How did they know he would even read it?
He liked many books, but he took his organic chemistry book everywhere he went. It was like his lifeline in a world that seemed determined to break him down at every turn. He stared at his reflection. Green eyes, copper hair with bits of blonde in there as well.
He didn't think he was a really handsome guy, but he didn't know whether or not one had to be handsome in order to be accepted and loved. He had never felt either feeling. Katja tolerated him. His mother felt obligated to deal with him. His father sidestepped him unless he had to address something Jack needed.
You're just ...not what I was expecting in a son. Couldn't you try to be a little manlier? Like that nice boy your sister goes out with from time to time. He's going places, you know.
Jack sighed. Maybe it was time to think about "unlocking his potential" like the note said. Maybe. He couldn't think of a reason not to let his brain wander. For the last few months, he had been thinking about another world quite often. Something where he could do as he pleased, when he pleased, without having to ask anyone's opinion.
This world gave him peace. When he got stressed or hurt from being bullied at school, he imagined stepping into that world. Comfort and peace waited for him every time he did. If I could live there forever, I would. I wouldn't even say goodbye to anyone. He sat down to write a note, thinking about something he read a while ago. A career counselor at school had given him a copy of Think and Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill.
In it, Hill talked about how you can do anything that you put your mind to, truly manifesting a world that you've never imagined. He wrote a simple note. "I am going to finally live the life I was meant to live. Please don't try to reach me. It's too late for that. Thank you for being the only family I have ever known. Perhaps we will meet again. Yours, Jackson Stonewell."
The other note, however, was more elaborate. He turned the music up on his mp3 as he pictured exactly what he wanted. He wrote about stepping through a gate into this world, this new planet that held so much promise for him. The science part of his mind glowered in the background, reminding him that he wasn't being logical. But this was not a note of logic for him. It was a note from the heart.
He yearned for a place where he could not just be tolerated, or have people interact with him because they felt obligated. He wanted to live in a world where he was treasured, cherished, loved, accepted, and even celebrated. He wanted to make his own contributions and mark on the world.
Perhaps it will not happen this way, but this is what my mind and heart agree on. I want this world, and one way or the other, I will have it. Someday.
He folded the note into an envelope, wrote "Important" across the front, and decided to get some sleep. For some reason, he felt very tired, even weary.
Jack crawled into his small bed and turned on his side. Sleep would hopefully come soon. The morning would be filled with a mad rush to get to school and settle in for another day of being small, and almost invisible. He didn't mind anymore — he was used to it.
Chapter 3: Bossy Girl
"Get up, Jackson."
Jack felt hands tugging at him. An odd light was streaming into his room through the window, but he knew it couldn't be morning. This wasn't the light of the sun, but something different than that. He reached for his glasses, putting them on quickly. He blanched as his fingers skipped over the lenses. They were thick lenses, too thick for his prescription.
However, when you came from a family that didn't have money for better frames and lenses, you got whatever the paltry little insurance policy decided you deserved. He found himself looking at a girl who looked strangely like the new girl in his chemistry class, except she had strange greenish-orange freckles on her face and she lost the glasses she normally wore in school with him.
"Bridget?"
"We don't have time!
The gate only stays open for a little while; even though this is the most energy-rich gate I've ever seen!"
She yanked him out of bed and grinned.
"I will explain later. We must hurry. Get your shoes!"
He blinked.
"Uh...I can't go anywhere at this time of night. I don't even have a car, and my parents..."
"They will not worry about it. Trust me. You keep dreaming of something better, right? Well it's time to make a choice. You know, like what Mr. Dunley always says. Sometimes you just have to cross the Rubicon, and there's no way to turn back."
For a few moments, Jack calculated all of the options. He could turn and jump into a world that sounded interesting, or he could be stuck with the same small town Missouri life. So he jumped, taking Bridget's hand.
Chapter 4: Gate to Everywhere
The gate was outside in his backyard, big and ominous, with swirling blue and green lights crashing into each other over and over, overlapping with the other lights in the place.
Bridget smiled at him. "Keep thinking about what you want as you go through the gate. I am right behind you. Don't lose your nerve, Jack!"
He took a deep breath, wondering if anyone was seeing all of this. He shook his head. They weren't thinking about him, so why should he honestly think about them? With that, he jumped through the gate, and his world blurred to a strange whiteness that overwhelmed him. He passed out, getting lost in the light show. Dirt. He coughed, spitting out dirt.
His glasses were bent, but he was somewhere else. He could feel it. Strangely enough, he found himself able to breathe. He wondered about that as well. He was standing on a bare stretch of land, like a wide desert except it was night. There were stars glittering, and three blue moons illuminated the sky.
Bridget was standing up, looking down at him with amusement.
His cheeks flared, embarrassment swallowing him up whole.
She was wearing a different suit now — a purple jumpsuit that clung close to her skin. There was a big R pinned to her chest. She smiled brightly. "Well, Jack. You jumped, like I knew you would. Next time though, try not to freak out about the lights. That's why you passed out. I had to drag you here but I accidentally dropped you. Sorry."
He sat up, taking in the world around him. Aside from the bare stretch of land, there was a strange sparse beauty. It was open space, clean air, and beautiful, starry night. He felt a bit taken aback by Bridget's outfit. "Where are we?"
"Don't you know your own world? This is the Planet Rubicon, Jackson. You built this world, but you stopped reaching for it so some stuff got...well, there's no need to explain that. You can always build it over again. The people have been waiting for their king."
Jack blinked. Their king? He was a lot of things, but he was no king. He didn't know the first thing about building a new world or ruling a people. This is going to be very interesting.
Chapter 5: Awkward Desert
/> Bridget leads the way across the desert, talking excitedly. Apparently, she wasn't joking about her excitement in finding Jack, and finding that he's created such an amazing world. She informs Jack on the way about the world that used to exist here. She explains to him that there was more than just desert — it was actually a lush hillside with a city that stood proudly against the sky.
The mornings were always filled with sunshine and plenty of cloud cover all at the same time. The people that dwell inside Reversia, the main city, are very industrious people. They focus on their passions but they also make sure that they make time to earn a living for their families. Barter is also encouraged, as not everyone can work on the planet. Health is something that's focused on, but not in a way where people feel undervalued if they aren't packed with muscles.
Jack gets tired of walking, and wishes that they had something faster to travel in. He thinks about his dream car, a shiny Mercedes convertible, all red fire and top speed. He can already see himself zooming down the highway, with an actual girl by his side.
Bridget gasps and says, "Get back!"
Jack does what he's told, muttering about women and their tendency to make Loud noises. He's caught off guard and he hates it. However, the sight before him definitely makes him take a closer look. Ahead of them is a red convertible, a 4-seater. There's a speaker in the front, like the intercoms all over the school.
"Hello, Jack. You called for me?"
Jack blinks, very excited. He remembers Bridget's earlier discussion on visualization. There is so much more he wants to ask for, but not right now.
Bridget decides to demurely slide into the passenger seat, while he looks at the dashboard and inner panel. This is like no convertible on earth — the dashboard is filled with different sensors and other readings. He can see something that looks like a GPS system.
Bridget giggles and squeezes his hand tightly. "You can talk to the car like you would anything else. Its on-board computer system is like nothing else on Earth — nothing you would be used to, anyway."