Orb said our species is like locusts. He probably has a point. This would be a good spot for Matt and Eli to pay a visit—but where would Orb put the portal?
Peter found he was no longer as cold as he slumped to the ice below him. His breath came in shallow, ragged gasps. Each breath hurt more than the one before it. The already-cloudy air around him grew darker.
Mountain climbers spend time getting used to low levels of oxygen on the way up. Why did I think I could just pop in at the top? I’ve got to get out of here before I freeze to death, or black out from a lack of oxygen. Where can I go?
Peter racked his brain for an idea. Whether from the cold, or the lack of oxygen, his brain was no longer responding. His thoughts felt like legs trapped in mud up to their knees. Each time he gained leverage on an idea it was sucked back down. The cold and the wind whispered to him that he should stop fighting and just relax.
His eyelashes, crusted in ice, flickered as his eyes began to close. He shook his head, fighting to clear it. His ears hurt so badly from the cold that he could think of nothing else.
Has to be a place….
Why he simply did not go home was an excellent question. The likely answer was that he had latched onto the idea of testing his teleportation skills and, more importantly, his frozen brain was not making a lot of sense.
The faint light dimmed as he closed his eyes, and things got even darker as his systems began to shut down. His teeth chattered with such force that his jaw ached, but all his aches and pains began to drift away with his consciousness.
Just before he was completely gone a thought meandered through the frozen wasteland of his brain.
“Wet. Why am I so wet? And where is all of that noise coming from?”
Peter pushed himself to a sitting position, the icicles on his lashes already melting, and found himself lying on a wet patch of concrete. A metal railing ran along his left. He forced himself to take a few deep breaths, which produced a round of coughing, and he reached across his body to grab the lower bar of the railing with his right hand.
Pulling himself to his feet, he quickly discovered the source of the noise as massive sheets of water fell over the edge of a cliff which made a giant, shallow U shape as it extended over to another observation deck on the far side—which was barely visible through the clouds of vapor.
I did it! I’m at Niagara Falls.
Peter watched, mesmerized like the thousands of others who had visited this site at the sheer volume of water pushing itself over the edge before falling far below in thick sheets of white. It did not seem possible that this much water existed on the planet. His primary experience with rivers and falls was from the skinny, shallow tributary that ran alongside the back of their farm. What we have back home is a creek. This is a river.
He stood in that position, his good (only) hand gripping the top rail for quite some time before his cold, wet toes began to protest. Once he gave in to acknowledging those complaints, he found himself deluged with feedback from all over his body. The fall air was already not warm. Combined with the freezing mist, it penetrated the pores of Peter’s body and caused another round of coughing and shivering.
Ok, I’ve proven I can do it without any help from Orb. Now I need to see how many of us I can take with me.
Peter closed his eyes and thought about his farm, and the small river behind it. When he opened his eyes, he felt the kiss of slightly warmer air, and the comfort of the relatively small amount of water babbling over the river rocks.
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO
Secret Plans
Later that night, Peter was back on the couch. Eli and Jenny lay on several blankets on the floor in front of him. Big Ed’s obnoxious snores paid no attention to the closed door to his room and demanded to be heard.
In the darkness, Peter sent the thought, I can travel anywhere I want. It doesn’t matter where, and Orb does not have to pick the spot out in advance.
That’s great! Jenny replied. How did you feel afterwards?
Like normal. Teleporting doesn’t affect me like it does all of you, but we need to do some more tests where I bring you guys with me. I have a feeling it will be harder to ’port more than myself, but I don’t know how much harder.
I still think we can all ’port ourselves, Eli countered.
Maybe, but most of you are completely spent at the end of the day. I don’t know when we’re going to try this idea for real, but we can’t count on everyone having enough power to ’port themselves. If I can take all of us together, that’s the safest way, especially if we’re running from guardians. Or one of us is hurt.
Eli looked glum, either because he wanted to be responsible, or because he did not like the idea of one of them getting hurt. At the end his head inclined slightly. We can pick some spots when we meet up at the bank tomorrow night.
Ok, Eli, Peter replied, but they must be remote, so we avoid the populated districts – and no mountain tops.
What? Why?
Trust me.
The mental chatter stopped as all three of them thought about places they would like to see. Jenny eventually broke the silence.
Speaking of trust: what are we going to do about Matt and Irene?
What can we do with them? They’re off in their own little world.
I know, Eli, but we’re going to need their help if we’re going to defeat a guardian. Matt’s body is now several times stronger than it was before. His crushing power may not work on a guardian, but he’s by far the best equipped among us to fight.
Eli did not have to say anything for them to know he did not appreciate praising Matt at the expense of his own manhood.
That’s true, said Peter, but what are we going to do with Irene? Unless the guardian we encounter is attracted to humans—to look at, not to eat—I don’t see how she’s going to help.
It doesn’t matter. We’re a team. We got into all of this together, we’ll get out together.
Another round of silence descended as they digested Jenny’s insistence on a full team of Disciples. Peter picked at a small hole in his blanket as he tried to come up with a solution. He then made it even more complicated when he asked, And what about Big Ed, your parents, and Matt and Irene’s parents?
There’s a good chance that entering a portal, even with a piece of Cube, vaporizes all of us and turns us into mushrooms, or a rock. All our parents may be better off staying behind.
That’s not helpful, Eli, Jenny quipped.
If we follow through with this, it’s because we think we can change our future under Orb, Peter said. Escape him, and then return to beat him. I don’t know how. We will probably fail, but I think we should try. We can’t bring Big Ed and the others with us for lots of reasons—and Big Ed would probably rat us out to Orb.
Eli and Jenny stewed on Peter’s words until Eli finally replied, You’re pretty smart for a thirteen-year-old.
He has an old soul, Jenny agreed.
How did Orb do this? Peter asked as they walked out of the bank the next night.
I have no idea, replied Eli, looking up at the stars glistening in the night sky. He just said we were going, and we ended up in Mexico, and Costa Rica.
Maybe it would help if we held hands? Jenny offered.
Eli looked around at what had become a ghost town. I don’t think anyone is going to see us, but let’s make it fast because I don’t want to explain why I’m standing in the middle of the street holding hands with my girlfriend and my younger brother.
Peter and Jenny joined hands. Jenny offered her free hand to Eli, who grabbed Peter’s injured arm by the elbow.
Is everyone thinking about the same place? Peter asked.
Yes, Uluru, Jenny replied.
Ayer’s rock, confirmed Eli.
Peter rolled his eyes.
What? Eli protested. The book in the library said that it goes by both names.
Please don’t try to make this harder. I’m going to count down from three and then we’ll try to telep
ort together.
Are we going on one, or after you say one? asked Jenny.
Peter chewed his lip. This is a lot more complicated with three people. Ok, we go AFTER I say one.
Ok.
Are you ready? Everyone thinking about the picture we saw?
Yes, Jenny and Eli agreed.
Three, two, one, go!
The void felt stronger and colder to Peter this time as he attempted to drag Jenny and Eli along with him. Even though, somewhere, somehow, their hands were clasped together they felt separated from him as the Disciples tried to ’port themselves to their destination. These ’ports normally took the span of a heartbeat or two for Peter, but he counted to five and still felt like they had barely left the street in front of the bank.
Peter had never been on an airplane, much less piloted one, but from what he had seen on TV the experience of trying to teleport other people was like flying full-speed at thirty-two-thousand feet with the landing gear and flaps down. It was a noisy, turbulent experience with a freezing effect that rivaled his time on Mount Everest.
Help! Eli’s voice cried out in Peter’s brain as Eli lost his grip on Peter’s forearm and was now tethered to their group only by the grip of his left hand on Jenny’s right.
With this as their first attempt, Peter had no way of knowing what would happen if they lost the connection with Eli, but his gut told him it would be bad. Very bad.
He shifted his focus from the massive monolith in Australia to his back-up location, the least inhabited island in Hawaii: Niihau. Hold on, Eli! Hold on, Jenny! Peter used his teleportation ability to smother the weaker powers of Eli and Jenny, and bound them to him as he concentrated.
Moments later, the three of them popped into existence above the high tide line on a short, beautiful beach. Peter fell to his knees and tried not to throw up. The gentle sound of small waves spending the last of their energy to spill themselves on the blonde sand almost covered the sound of his dry heaves.
Peter eventually sat back on his haunches and stared over at Eli and Jenny, who lay flat on their backs on the sand with their hands shielding their eyes against the morning sun of this time zone. Peter wiped his lips with the back of his hand and asked, “Are you guys ok?”
Eli moaned, “I’m alive. I wouldn’t want to say any more than that.”
Jenny rolled over onto her stomach, sand sticking to her skirt and blouse. “I’ve never felt this tired before. I feel like I’ve been drained.”
“Where are we, Peter?” Eli asked as he rolled over on his side.
“Niihau.”
Jenny pushed herself up and stared at the broad, green shoulders of earth sloping up into the long set of cliffs which lined the beach. “I didn’t even know this place existed until you mentioned it, Peter.”
“I only found out about it when I looked up the Hawaiian Islands trying to see if one was uninhabited so we could avoid landing in a district. This one is private with almost no people.”
Eli also got to his feet, brushing off sand as he looked at the beautiful, blue-tinged water. “Someone owns this entire place?”
“They did, back when you were allowed to own land.”
Eli whistled softly. “Must’ve been nice.”
But this is only halfway to Australia, Peter. We didn’t make it.
I know, Eli, but I thought we were going to lose you.
I’m sorry, he said as he looked at Peter’s stump. I lost my grip on your arm.
Jenny came over and put her arm around Eli’s waist. Maybe we should try something stronger next time, like a rope.
“Well, it’s not Australia but it sure is pretty,” Peter said for the benefit of anyone listening. He then added, That’s a good idea. I think I can do a better job of ’porting all of us if I’m not distracted by trying to hold everyone together.
What if it’s not enough? What if you’re not strong enough to take all of us and some of us are too weak to do it for ourselves?
“We might as well go swimming while we’re here,” Peter said as he stripped off his shirt and shoes. And I don’t know the answer to that, Jenny. Let’s see what happens.
With that, Peter and Eli raced into the clear water and splashed each other. Jenny, still worried, stood on the beach and sent Peter a thought just for him. Peter, if Orb is watching now, he can probably guess what we’re up to—at least the fact that we are testing your ’porting powers. What’s to say that Orb doesn’t strip you, or all of us, of our powers?
He could, Peter said, holding his breath as Eli pushed him under the surface, but he gave us our powers as a reward for being his Disciples—and as he always says, his word is his bond.
Jenny, unconvinced, didn’t reply so Peter added, If it makes you feel any better, Orb could go back on his word and vaporize all of us anytime he wants. I think he’s already guessed what we’re up to, but I also think he likes playing games. What else does an almost-God do for fun?
No, Peter, that does not make me feel better.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Gibraltar
Several fretful weeks passed. Peter, Jenny and Eli continued to experiment with their shared teleporting. After many failures relying just on Peter’s ability, they discovered that if Eli and Jenny shared, and directed their teleporting powers to Peter, he could then seal their less-powerful abilities under his own and use the combined strength to guide them anywhere on the planet.
Peter still felt sick when they emerged at their destination, but was no longer exhausted like he was when he tried to teleport all of them using just his own power.
On their attempt the previous night they had found themselves standing atop the rock of Gibraltar. As they looked out over the narrow patch of sea that separated them from Africa, Peter felt the greedy fingers of the Barbary Apes running through his pockets as the sun rose in the distance. The difference in time zones was one of the hardest adjustments of teleporting as night turned instantly into day, or vice versa.
The apes had long roamed freely over the rock, relying heavily on food they could steal from tourists. With the people in this former British colony now consolidated in the district below, the apes had to work a bit harder to find food, and probably missed the tourists.
Peter ignored the apes and wondered, not for the first time, if they were doing the right thing. I am one of the most powerful creatures on this planet. I can go anywhere I want. I still live in my own house, on my own farm.
He looked down at his stump. I could ask Orb to heal me. To make me twenty times stronger. He looked up slightly at Eli and Jenny, holding hands as they looked out over the water. I could even get Orb to make me taller. I could be eight feet tall and lift cars for exercise. I could be beautiful, like Irene. I could be almost anything. Is it really all that bad with Orb in charge? How much longer were humans going to make it before they blew each other up or polluted the planet so much that they did themselves in?
A large, male ape tugged angrily at Peter’s pocket, breaking his concentration. The apes, which were quite a bit smaller than their name implied, did have long, scary teeth that this male displayed to show his impatience. The tan fur of the ape shifted under the wind as the ape screeched at Peter.
“I’m sorry, buddy, I don’t have anything for you.”
The ape gave one last tug on Peter’s pocket, then scowled as it rejoined the large pack of its brethren that had crowded around the visitors, hoping for treats.
I’m disappointing everyone. Why can’t I just give up and be happy like the others?
Because you have an over-developed sense of right and wrong, just like us, Jenny replied.
Peter blushed, and gave himself an internal kick for again failing to shield his thoughts.
If anyone, anything, truly knew what was best for the universe, it would have happened already and we wouldn’t have even known about it—that’s why we’re playing this silly game. I don’t know if Orb is better than Cube for our planet. There is plenty of evidence to make
a case for either side, but I know I’m glad to be here with all of you and, whatever happens, it will be for the best.
Both Peter and Jenny did a doubletake at this unusual, heartfelt outburst from Eli, who shrugged and went back to looking at the ocean.
Other than the wind, which carried the angry cries of the apes as they left the trio in search for food, silence descended. Several minutes passed with each of them lost within their own, shielded thoughts, until they were sent jumping into the air by the voice of Orb booming behind them.
“Have you learned the history of this location? This large rock was a colony of the place you used to call the United Kingdom, even though it sits in what was called Spain. It was a great source of contention between those lands, and was also desired for conquest by one of your world’s religions which prophesied a return to this area, and much of Spain, when it reclaimed land it considered stolen by others. There is also this small population of apes in residence. It is truly a remarkable place.”
The apes screeched loudly in the distance at Orb’s noisy proclamations—but could also have been reacting to the strange fiery red globe floating in the sky.
“I did not know all of that,” admitted Peter as he turned to look at Orb, his stomach sinking down to his ankles.
“Your species was so reliant on technology for information, perhaps because of your very limited ability to access previously gathered data in your brains, that each of you suffers from a severe lack of knowledge that can never be fixed. That is why a simple life of work and worship is the best solution for humanity.”
Peter, Jenny and Eli all nodded at Orb, too afraid to say anything.
“I apologize for interrupting. I know you’ve been working quite hard on your teleportation abilities. It appears that you’ve figured out how to blend your lesser skills into a more powerful combination using Peter’s skill, and talent. That’s excellent, but have you determined how you will add Matt and Irene to this mix? They only appear interested in each other these days, don’t you think?”
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