Jenny looked behind her and saw nothing but the empty deck. She looked up and saw Orb, hovering like an impossibly close sun, just above the top of the Eiffel Tower. Jenny tried to look calm and did her best to avoid thinking any treasonous thoughts about the powerful being that hovered above her and controlled every aspect of her life, and life on the entire planet.
“What do we do?”
“It is just as before, Child, but this time you must open yourself fully to me so that I can channel the power you need. You have worked to clear small areas and districts one by one but that is a tedious, time-consuming process. Over the coming months we will dismantle the remaining cities. You will be the first of the Disciples to arrive at each location, and, after today, you will be able to process each city in one morning. The power you utilize will drain you, but you will be able to rest and recharge each afternoon and then repeat your work the next morning at a new city.”
Orb pulsed and crackled with energy. Jenny could feel the difference in the power present within him, and was more than a little afraid of opening herself to try and channel that energy through her comparatively weak form. She thought she was ready, but also thought she needed at least a few more moments to gather herself.
“Orb, I’ve never asked, mostly because I appreciate the chance to save the animals, but why are you so interested in pushing all of them out of an area before the houses and buildings are crushed and sent through a portal?”
Orb slowly shifted down and over until he was in front of the observation deck, blocking the view of everything but the park below.
“We must continue with your work, Jenny, but the short answer to your question is that we are not saving the animals, we are simply moving them.”
Jenny fought back a frown. “But I thought that saving the animals was the point.”
“I learned from prior experience that it is best to remove living things from the compression process which Matt will complete.”
Jenny felt Orb enter her mind and plant an image of a sphere of crushed stone, wood, metal and glass dripping blood, gore and other bodily fluids. She put her hand over her mouth and fought back against the nausea that climbed up her throat.
“Please stop, Orb. I understand. Make it stop.”
The image disappeared and she was once again looking at the shimmering sphere that was Orb. “I found in prior rounds of The Game that human Disciples, as well as the crowds of followers who often gather, are uncomfortable with sights such as the one I shared. Your work is also a useful source of food for followers, as well as other creatures which I will soon reintroduce.”
Disappointment washed over Jenny, and she could not hide her frown. Here I thought I was the Disciple who helped all the animals. I knew that some were used for food, but never thought I was doing this just so that Matt, Eli and the followers who watched would not have to see what happens when dogs, cats, squirrels, rats and birds are crushed into spheres.
“My answer has made you unhappy. If you wish, I can spare a few moments to discuss it in more detail after you complete your task.”
Jenny tried to calm herself down but kept seeing the image Orb had shared. She also realized he had shared other information even more troubling.
“Wait! What do you mean about reintroducing creatures?”
“Later, Jenny. My word is my bond.”
“But—”
“Focus on the tower upon which you stand, Jenny. Feel the tower as a center point from which you wish to push all living things away.”
Jenny frowned again but promised herself that she would indeed take Orb for his word and ask more questions. She looked out over the park as Orb slowly rose to reveal the city below. The hair on her arms tingled as Orb began to funnel his power into her.
“Concentrate, Jenny.”
She closed her eyes, which often helped, and tried to envision the tower as a radio antenna. An antenna which sent out wave after wave of power in a three-hundred-and-sixty-degree pattern. She slowed her breathing, then held her breath as she tried to channel and push the power out over Paris. She felt the normal effects of the power but cried out as the extra amount Orb directed into her singed her brain.
She had jabbed a fork into an outlet when she was five. The jolt of electricity that passed through her body nearly knocked her unconscious as it burned through her. Her quick-thinking mother had used a couch cushion to push her away from the outlet and, besides a burn on her hand and a headache that lasted for days, she survived with no lasting damage.
The power that now flowed through her felt like she had pushed a fork into a power plant. She struggled for a breath of air, her hands slapping the railing in front of her.
“Breathe, Jenny, breathe.”
She gasped, immediately lost that breath, and gasped again. Her mouth tightened; her teeth clicked together.
I can’t do it. It’s too much! I’ve only pushed the animals in one direction before—never away from me in all directions like this!
“It is the same thing, Jenny. The only thing holding you back is your idea of what is possible. Take the power in and push it out.”
Screaming, Jenny allowed another pulse of power to flow through her and, this time, instead of holding it in, she immediately sent it back out as a circular wave that started beneath her and pushed out towards the horizon.
“That’s it, Jenny. Keep going. Each time you send the power out, envision it going farther and farther. An outgoing, unstoppable tide.”
Her whole body aching, she continued to accept and then expel Orb’s power. Each time it felt like she had succeeded in going a little bit further, but the progress was slow, and the greater area of Paris was very wide.
This process continued for so long that Jenny lost track of time. It could have been five minutes, or five hours later that Orb finally said, “Open your eyes, Jenny.”
Still absorbing and pushing out the power, she cracked her eyes open and was astonished at what she saw.
“Are those clouds?” she asked as she looked at the horizon.
“No, birds. Hundreds of thousands of birds that roosted in the buildings.”
She squinted and could indeed see that the dark, swirling shapes trailing off into the distance were giant flocks of birds.
“I did it?” she asked.
“Almost. We must continue to push a little farther and, like always, we must bring the power down like a dome to seal off the area.”
The beginnings of a smile crossed Jenny’s face as she closed her eyes again and imagined packs of dogs, cats, birds and all manner of rats and mice scrambling to make their way to the horizon. The power, once she adjusted to it, began to feel like a natural part of her body. Her breathing became regular and she found herself not just accepting but craving the power that Orb provided.
She cried out in joy as the waves grew and traveled farther and farther away. At some point she noticed she was crying, but not from sadness, as the nails on her fingers felt like daggers that could claw through sheets of metal.
Eventually, Orb whispered, “Excellent. Now bring it down.”
Jenny nodded and laughed as the dome of power she conjured slowly dropped down until it finally made contact with the pastures and forests in the rural areas around Paris.
A switch was flicked, and the power within her disappeared. She collapsed to her knees, her emotions a wreck, as she wrestled with the sadness of the power she could no longer hold versus the pride she felt at her accomplishment. She sat, her eyes still closed, tears of euphoria and sadness leaking from the corners of her eyes, for some time.
“You have done well, Jenny. After you rest today you will be able to repeat this process around the world without my help.”
She tried to speak but could not. Her head drooped onto her chest, and fatigue took over. She was spent.
“Now, Jenny, you had more questions?”
Jenny could not remember. Did I have questions? What questions?
She slowly slid to
her right until she was lying on the deck, and slept.
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
The Trouble with Matt
The Disciples, all freshly returned from their duties, sat on and around the table in the former board room in the bank building.
Matt, sitting on the end of the polished mahogany table, chewed on an apple. Irene sat next to him, leaning back dangerously in her chair, which she kept from falling over by hooking the toes of her sandals under the table.
Eli, yawning, sat at the opposite end of the table in an oversized office chair. Jenny and Peter stood next to a whiteboard–an actual whiteboard, not a projection–mounted on the backside wall in the middle of the room.
Everyone except Matt had taken off their yellow tunic and put it on the table. Matt dripped chunks of apple that fell on his tunic and then harmlessly slid to the carpet below.
“Ok, Peter,” said Matt, between bites, “why did you call us all here? I don’t know about the rest of you, but I need to get home and get some sleep.”
“Oh, Matt, you’re too busy, too important now to see the rest of us?”
Matt took another bite of his apple and rolled his eyes at Irene.
Jenny watched Matt and Irene carefully. Something had changed between the two of them. What was once young love now looked and sounded like an old, unhappily married couple.
“Don’t you roll your eyes at me, Matthew!” Irene warned as she attempted to sit back up in her chair, only to have it slide out from under her. She fell back awkwardly, bouncing off the chair and hitting her head against the wall.
Peter and Jenny rushed over to Irene, who held her head in her hands and kicked her legs from the pain. Jenny knelt and whispered in Irene’s ear, grabbed one of her hands and grimaced as Irene squeezed it. Peter, seeing nothing else productive that he could do, stood the chair back up and stared curiously at Matt, who had not moved and was still chewing on his apple.
Eli walked over from the other end of the table and, with nothing specific he could do in the crowded space, watched and waited for orders.
Jenny whispered again to Irene, who grudgingly nodded her head.
“Eli, Peter, help me get her up.”
The three of them helped Irene to her feet and guided her back to her chair. Irene continued to rub the back of her head but, other than her puffy eyes, looked no worse for wear.
“Thanks a lot for helping me up, Matt,” Irene hissed.
Matt took the last bite of his apple, then stood and attempted to throw it in the garbage can by the door with a jump shot. The apple missed its target, banged off the wall above the garbage, and then rolled under the table. Matt shrugged and sat back down.
“Maybe next time don’t lean so far back,” Matt offered without looking at Irene.
Peter technically agreed with Matt’s statement, but also knew that the situation called for a little sympathy—which Matt appeared unwilling or unable to offer.
Matt sighed. “I still need to get some rest, Peter. Why are we here?”
Peter gave Matt a curious look, which went unanswered. Matt can sometimes be a little rough and a bit selfish, but there’s something off about him now.
You’re right, Jenny answered in his head, he’s changed, and not for the better.
You guys are paranoid, Eli chimed in, he’s just tired—and maybe he doesn’t like Irene quite as much as he used to.
“Why are all of you staring at me?” Matt asked.
“Because you’re being a jerk,” answered Irene on behalf of the others.
Matt pushed his chair back from the table and stood up. “I’m going to bed. I’ll check in for my schedule in the morning but otherwise leave me alone. I’ve got enough to do without all of you judging me.”
“No one’s judging—” Peter started to reply before Matt teleported out of the room.
Peter looked over to Eli, who sat calmly while tapping his fingers on the table. Eli rolled his eyes and shrugged.
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
New Guardians
A few days later, Peter was called to one of the districts that was once part of the city of Tokyo, Japan. The spinning globe and hovering whiteboard at the bank had indicated a dispute in district 179,423. Prior to Orb, Peter had never even left Arkansas, much less visited Japan. Somehow, through Orb, he knew that he was in the part of Tokyo previously known as the Tama district. He stood in what was still known as Sakuragaoka Park, though much of the grounds had been turned into working gardens. These spots were some of the only open spaces in the area otherwise packed with local inhabitants, thousands of whom crowded together in front of the small stage that had been constructed for the event. Some locals sat with their legs dangling from branches of the trees which had originally been cultivated for the park, their legs dangling from the branches.
Peter had left his home at 7:00 p.m., which, with the fourteen-hour time difference, meant that it was just after 9:00 a.m. He turned to look at the only other occupant of the stage. A short woman who made her rustic tunic look official rose from her chair and gave a slight bow to him; a position she held as she used her open hand to point at the empty wooden chair a few feet from her spot.
With her head facing down, she spoke softly. “Thank you for coming, Peter. We await your wisdom and your help.”
“I don’t know how much wisdom I have, Ms. Tanaka,” replied Peter as he sat, “but I’m glad to help however I can.”
Peter experienced the odd feeling that always came from the nearly instant translation of both what he heard as well as what he said. His ears told him she had added a “san” to his name so that she had actually addressed him as Peter-san, but via the abilities Orb had provided to all of his Disciples her words were changed, translated, in his head just after they reached his ears—just as what he said in English was translated into Japanese in the minds of all those present.
Peter had asked Orb about this unique wrinkle in their communication. Orb replied that translation would soon no longer matter as everyone on the planet would speak a single language: the eme-g̃ir version of Sumerian.
“Sumerian?” Peter asked. “Why?”
“It is my favorite nominative-accusative language. The use of a single language will draw my followers even closer to me, and each other. My word is my bond.”
Peter had later looked up what a nominative-accusative language was in his town’s library, but other than confirming that English also fit that description, it did not make any sense to his tired brain, so he filed it under the many things he now accepted without necessarily understanding why.
He bowed his head ever so slightly as he addressed the crowd. “Thank you for your invitation. How may I help?”
The crowd murmured and shifted in response. It was the normal reaction, but a little more pleasant as he did not feel the hostility and anger that often greeted him. He shifted the collar of his yellow tunic to provide a little more breathing room.
“Peter, we asked for the help of Orb and his Disciples as, without weapons, we are unable to protect ourselves against the new threat that takes a half-dozen or more of us a day—nor do we understand why Orb, in his wisdom, chose to shrink the boundary of our district.”
Peter let those words sink in as he tried to understand what they meant. New threat? Shrinking district?
He chose his words carefully, not wanting to create problems with the crowd.
“I’m afraid I do not know what you mean. Can you please tell me more about the new threat? And what do you mean about a shrinking boundary?”
Ms. Tanaka looked as confused as Peter felt. “How can this be? Are you not here to speak on behalf of Orb?”
The murmuring of the crowd increased. Peter took a quick look and was met with angry stares and scowls.
“Please start by telling me about the shrinking boundary.”
Ms. Tanaka, still very puzzled, answered, “Nearly a week ago, Orb appeared and told us all that our district would lose half of its land so that he could establish
what he called “wilderness” areas between all of the districts. He said that there are too many of us and that his plan, his world, needs only true believers.”
Peter nodded. Orb had, of course, mentioned nothing about this. Well, that’s not true. Orb made it clear that he wants only a fraction of the existing people, he just never told us the details of how he would go about reducing the world’s population.
“We have done our best to move those in the new wilderness area into the farms in what is left of the region, but there is not enough room, or food.”
“Hmm,” was the best Peter could offer, which was not much.
The crowd, which through the magic of Orb could hear him regardless of the distance, began to push closer to the stage.
“And the new threat?” Peter asked, hoping it would distract the crowd from whatever it was thinking. He was not in any physical harm as he, and they, knew that anyone striking a Disciple would be vaporized, but just last week in Mexico City an angry crowd had rushed the stage, and Peter inadvertently caused twenty or more to be vaporized as they attempted to strike him.
Ms. Tanaka gestured to the area beyond the woods. “We believe there are six of them. They hunt as a group.”
Peter followed the direction she indicated, but saw nothing besides trees and the people sitting in them.
“And ‘they’ are…?”
“Do you recall the film Jurassic Park?”
Both confused and wary, Peter said, “Yes.”
“Our district, as well as those around it, is now surrounded by a pack of velociraptors.”
Peter almost giggled, then caught himself. Ms. Tanaka did not look like she was joking. He turned back to the crowd and was very sure that none of them felt it was a joke either.
Jenny, Eli, I need help. Have you heard anything about Orb shrinking districts and putting velociraptors in the new wilderness area?
There was a short delay before Eli replied, No, where are you?
The Disciples of the Orb Page 10