by Ted L C
“And I did. However, when I did that the cup broke in a weird shape in my hand and it tore through my skin. That’s when I learned that I can close my wounds by using my fingers—”
“How?”
“Whenever I visualize it, they heat to a high temperature. Everything else surrounding me goes cold. And then whatever I touch within five minutes burns, melts, or seals. So I’ll run my finger against a wound and it cauterizes.”
“Interesting,” she flashes a vial the size of a sunflower seed from her belt. It inflates upon leaving the pocket. “I use this whenever I want to be frugal with my Zeresh blood.
“You sprinkle it on an owie and it closes. I made it myself from a mix of Schumanniophyton magnificum and the leaves of Mucuna Pruriens.”
“What technology is that unshrinking thing?”
“It is a product known as Shiin-Ji Oxidation.” Rotating the phial, a brown powder trickles from one side to the other. “Made from the shells of Shiin-Ji. Its structure exhibits an adverse reaction to whenever it’s deprived of oxygen. Shrinks by ninety-seven point three percent. So, its shell was taken and duplicated, creating the technology before you.
“Honestly, I feel horrible for monopolizing the cruelty of these creatures. Yet, if I didn’t do it, millions of lives could’ve been lost.
“I dedicated three years of my life to volunteer work on the planet of Herecule. Feeding and caring for them; and preventing any more of them from being harvested.”
“Kinda sounds like that you’re just hoarding the technology for yourself now,” Derek’s pupils deflate as Alyssa’s iris’ whiten. “However, it was sweet of you to redeem what you did in the past to help those creatures. What do they look like?”
Her foot digs into his shin. Air pulses from her lips. “Lesson of the morning, no matter how much emotional barrage one can throw at you; always resist.
“There’s a time and place for everything. A chance to fight back and a moment to retreat. Either karma will kick in or the universe will have a way of reimbursing your losses.
“For example. A day ago, when your sister was talking shit. You defended yourself, which was the right move.”
“Are you saying that bad karma will happen to me for what I just said to you?” pulling his body back, he drags his coffee with him while slouching. “Furthermore, I thought you didn’t believe in any religion.”
“Karma is not a part of a religion. It’s an idea that’s proven its existence time and time again. On top of that, you didn’t do anything wrong. You may have landed a soft blow at my ego by saying what you did. However, I won’t invest my emotions into it.
“It is a lesson that came to mind throughout our conversation,” her gaze shifts to the cashier counter, with Derek’s slouched head in within its reflection. “If you want to appear as a more confident man, straighten your neck. Imagine like there’s a puppeteer over you with strings planted into the top of your skull.”
An image forms in Derek’s mind of a masked figure planting a giant pipe through his butt. Derek pushes his posterior against the back of the seat while sticking out his pinky. A squiggle appears between his dimples. “Aren’t you a puppeteer, though?”
“If I was,” a grin blossoms from her lips. “you’d be giving me a back massage.”
“What?”
“Nothing,” a massage table vanishes from Alyssa’s thoughts. “Drink your coffee and work on your body language. It is a part of being the best version of yourself.”
“I still have yet to see your abilities.” depressing his cheeks, Derek’s stare dashes across her tattoo. “Are you sure that you’re what you call a HESTEK?”
“Better be careful of what you wish for, my young apprentice,” she rests a palm against the table. A large tendril manifests behind the table’s ledge.
“What?” a long object tugs at Derek’s ankle portion of his jeans. His gaze catches a vine moving on its own. It creeps through the center of the floor tiles and up to his knee.
“Climbing up your leg—” a rosy tint fills Alyssa’s cheeks. “Through your pants.”
A warm sensation emits from Derek’s groin area as a hard feeling creeps through his boxers.
“And into your ass!” she leaves her seat and plops her luscious red lips against Derek’s earlobes. “This is happening.”
Jolting from his chair, Derek jerks his left leg using a seesaw motion.
“No—no—no—no—no!” within his peripherals, all the barista’s lock their eyes on him. “I wanted this to happen in prison by a stranger, not in a coffee shop!”
Alyssa’s hysterical chuckles fill the cafe. Her eyelids hammer against each other. Droplets race across the girl’s cheek.
“Everything fine over here—” the cashier’s stare moves downward. They pursue the vines. “Do you—are you Alyssandra?”
Alyssa’s fingers brush liquids from her cheeks. “I am. What’s up?”
“You’re a HESTEK—t-the queen of nature?”
“Oh,” air hums through her lips. “Yes, I am.”
“I’m such a big fan!” she flashes her phone and presents her a picture of a tree towering over a forest from an aerial perspective. “I’ve heard about you planting a Vishv Vrksh on many planets to symbolize mankind’s unity. Ca-can I have your autograph?”
“Sure, what language would you like it in, darling?” Alyssa flashes a golden marker from her pouch.
“Could you do traditional Chinese?” with both hands, she presents the back of her phone case to Alyssa.
“Absolutely!” Alyssa’s fingers transit a stylus across the ringer. It forms traditional Chinese characters followed by a bear drawn with a cartoon art style. “I’ll use my Chinese name, ai li sha.”
“Thank you so much, ai li sha!” she faces the other girls behind the counter, whose hands shroud their mouths.
“Is he a HESTEK, also?” one of the girls says.
“He’s ai ren. I’m training him that way I can have a partner,” Alyssa shifts her feet toward the window. The young woman’s gaze descends. “We should leave, he has some learning to do.”
“Don’t worry about the mess,” the girl’s lustrous iris’ moves to the table. “I’ll get it.”
“Much obliged!” Alyssa aims her bulb nose toward the boy. “Take us back to the castle, please.”
He clasps a hand over her shoulder. The queen of nature lifts her index and middle finger. “Byee.”
Derek pushes the window all the way open; fingers grip Alyssa’s waist. He leaps through the opening, carrying her along with him.
A symphony of screams fills the room. The two bodies bursts into clouds of ashes.
Onyx specs shuffle throughout the skies.
* * *
Ambitions
“Was it necessary to throw us out a window and terrify those poor girls?” Alyssa’s arcs a brow.
Derek’s feet shuffle toward a limestone desk. “You know—it woulda been dick move to fill that shop with my ashes.”
His eyes scan the myriad of hieroglyphs until seeing a phoenix ouroboros.
“I see you had a moment to take a look at my desk,” a grafting voice echoes within the wooden walls.
The duo turns. Liam stands in the doorway; legs spread shoulder-length apart.
“Isn’t that the Reivscere logo on your desk?” the boy’s gaze makes its way toward the same design embroidered on the left breast of Liam’s suit.
“Continuing our conversation from earlier. Since the two of you are not in as much shock anymore, I feel it is easier to explain the history of this hieroglyph.
“The desk behind you is the slab from a pyramid in Egypt. It is theorized aliens had an impact on societal development. Even that they had contact with the ancient Egyptians.
“This logo—this symbol, might be an explanation to the source of our abilities. It is one writing that has not been able to be translated. Yet it appears in only one tomb. Scientists tossed the idea that it meant anything, even buried it. They assu
med some youngsters vandalized the pyramid.
“However, my father saw the same mark on Sekhemet’s body before it detonated in the beginning. That is away from the point. Some who do know of this hieroglyphic, theorize it is a message from another species. That our curse is not blood magic like claimed by Zeresh.
“You should know this, Alyssandra. I built Reivscere on a dream. That one day this symbol would spread throughout the cosmos. Possibly, draw the attention of those who might have given us this curse. If it does not, it does not matter.”
“How much of Reivscere’s funding is invested into research of our ancestors and aliens?” Alyssa rubs her index finger and thumb with a circular motion.
Liam approaches them and rests a coaster on the desk. “That is information only those with special approval can acquire.”
“I will make you a deal, sir,” her teeth grind in unison. “We off your targets. Rather than paying me my cut, I’d like to peek into the research you are doing. I’ll even sacrifice my health care and housing.”
“You lose nothing in said scenario,” pearly whites fill the area between his lips. “Research states how rich you are, Alyssandra. If HESTEK net worth were publicly available and combined with the Norm’s. You’d be the third richest in the four galaxies.”
Derek’s pupils deflate. His gaze follows Alyssa’s as it targets Liam’s face.
“I can not risk this information getting out into the public, lass. The public could not handle the truth,” he arcs his back forward, towering over her. “Even if you were to off me and conquer Reivscere, you would not be able to find the information.”
“Liam, sir—” Derek’s muffled voice spreads through the room. “What are your abilities?”
Shivers ride through his spine as two raven auras encase Alyssa and Liam. Tendrils of shadows sprout from their back and snap at the opposing tentacles.
Liam shifts his hips, retreating from Alyssa, and faces Derek with a smile intact. “Unfortunately, from my father, I only caught the symptom of unknown strength. I was not as gifted as he was.”
The boy’s fingers brush his chin.
“Oh, also, I wanna do what she’s doing,” the lad’s vibrating feet lug him closer to the suited figure, appearing within arms-length. “I’ll sacrifice my health care, bounty rewards, and whatever else. If—you disclose some of that alien research information to us.”
“Noble,” the man arcs his neck forward, eyes descend upon the boy. “Once more, I cannot risk disclosing sensitive information to the two of you. No amount of money or threats will force me to tell anyone. It is strictly classified.
“However, I will disclose some knowledge to the two of you, free of cost. Pieces of the information that you seek are found on as follows. The planets of Faxian, Vulcanis, and Planet ex. All the information available to you on the planet Earth is before you and had been revealed.”
Liam makes his way to his desk and plants his fingers against its surface. A hologram of keyboard keys manifests underneath his appendages. His 10 sausage-shaped rods transform into blurs. They dash across the numbers and letters.
His pinky slaps the enter key.
“Derek and Alyssa,” the keys dissipate, transforming into steam. “Please head to the arena C-twenty-five. I will get the two of you equipped so we will begin your journey. My system has notified me that the two of you read through and signed the documents. I will meet you there shortly.”
The duo makes their way through the giant slabs of glass.
* * *
“Thank’s for the offer to sacrifice your earnings just to get me a peek at the information.” Alyssa brushes her palm against Derek’s shoulder.
“No problem. I’m kinda curious about this alien stuff now. And since it’s classified, I want it more.”
“Sheltering one encourages the person to want it more,” her tattoo expands and shrinks. “An aspect implemented into most families and governments which fails to achieve what they want. Derek—we will find that information.”
* * *
“I do not want any of Reivscere’s technology screwing up my body,” Alyssa hurls her palm toward Liam’s face. It pauses before reaching his cheek. “I’m fine with what I have.”
“Outdated software and equipment?” Liam nestles a metallic orb into a foam mat. “Your body is exposed. Furthermore, with ease, an average hacker could bypass your software and shut down your core.
“Suit yourself,” Liam’s pupils transfer to Derek. “How do you feel about your current equipment?”
Derek burrows his fingers into a sphere enveloping his skull.
His vision clears. Beige widgets manifest on the screen. One, of a man breathing the same rate as himself. Another, of a three-dimensional bracelet with 12 spikes blossoming from it. The last, five bars; similar to the ones on a cell phone.
“Pretty cool. Pretty cool,” the boy’s fingers flick a metal spike on the metal cylinder encasing Derek’s wrist. “These things on my arm reminds me of being imprisoned in Zeresh’s sex chamber, though.”
Derek’s fingers caress the metallic surface of his legs. “I wanna Shobo.”
“The weapon used for pressure points?” Alyssa and Liam say in unison.
“No,” an image of the golden armor-clad figure paints inside of his mind. A skirt encases his legs. “It’s a flexible leather armor accouterment.”
“Ah, yes,” a hologram of Alexander’s armor-clad form materializes over Liam’s wrist. “Identical to Alexanders, correct?”
“Yes.”
“Why is that, boy? Don’t you consider him an antagonist—”
“As much as he freaks me out, he looks badass. And I wanna look like him as much as possible. It just—feels right. Wearing a Shobo, that is.”
Alyssa’s pupils deflate as they shift from the hologram to the boy.
“I will get into those details in a bit,” Liam’s sight shifts from Derek, to Alyssa, and back to the boy. “Anyway, your helmet’s ventilation system protects you from any gas and toxic pollen. There is memory foam padding encasing the interior to mold to fit your skull’s structure. Thus, protecting you from injuries such as concussions.
“The glass walling in front of your eyes presents three widgets. One, showing your breathing rate. The next display your communications reception. I attained your cell phone and synced it to your helmet. Therefore, if you need to make calls, you will do so with your voice commands such as call, end call, and send S.M.S. message.
“The third widget displays your spike propelling armor coating plasma cutter. Otherwise known as the S.A.P. I will be going over this device next. Any questions?”
Derek’s finger continues to flick at the spike.
“Moving on,” a prolonged breath pushes through his nostrils. “The S.A.P. contains breakthroughs in recent technology; neural recognition and NanoLites.
“It will discharge spikes whenever your mind commands it to. Afterward, the Nanos will swarm and interlock, producing more spikes.
“The S.A.P.’s inner layer is magnetized. Use a mental command to order the outer shell to hover around the inner layer. When you wish to retract the outer shell, it’s the same method as expanding it—”
“Where do these ‘NanoLites’ come from?” the SAP expands as Derek envisions a sexy girl blowing a balloon inside of his mind. “How’re they powered?”
“Within the SAP is a core,” Liam plants his finger against the boy’s forearm. Between a series of spikes. “Manufactured with a Z-eighty-seven IntHell processor in addition to transmutation technology.
“The core will convert carbon dioxide in addition to microscopic slivers of Stellar to duplicate the element. In theory, this creates a limitless supply of Stellar clad Nanos at your disposal—
“Underneath the core is a patch attached to your skin. It absorbs the lactate from your sweat; thus, turning it into electricity. Furthermore, Stellar absorbs heat from the environment and provides a catalyst.”
“Sounds like—”
“Please, Derek,” Liam rests a palm against Derek’s shoulder. “Let me answer your questions at a later date. We must hurry through this training sequence. I have a meeting in less than an hour.”
“Fine.”
“With what I just mentioned about the Nanos, you could also command them to do what you wish. For instance, if you want them to create a Shobo, imagine it. They will form it.
“I would like to point out one significant risk to mind recognition technology. Like all modern-day technology, it can be hacked. But, there are only two people who can hack it, Zeresh and—”
“Wait—” Derek’s gaze shifts toward the SAP, “What’s the cannon shape for?”
“Your symptoms of Adalfieri grant energy manipulation. This will provide ammunition that can be funneled through the SAP to produce a beam of energy. Its inner layers are grooved to spiral. Preventing any unnecessary bursts of plasma firing uncontrollably.”
“Energy manipulation? You must be mistaking me with someone else.”
“You are not aware that you can manipulate plasma, Derek? You are still young, I do not expect you to know your abilities. You will learn to harness your symptoms as your journey progresses.
“Remember this about plasma. With the right amount of focus, you would be able to control other being’s minds with the correct amount of voltage. With your abilities, you have the potential to be equal to God himself—”
“Anyways, your jacket and pants are linked with composite Stellar, making you impervious to any projectile that is not fired from a rail weapon. These, plus your helmet, are also conjured by NanoLites.
“You learned about element 134, in chemistry, correct?”
“I can only remember about seventy of the elements. My chemistry teacher let us take one page of notes that we could use on tests. Though, I still ended with a cee in the class.”
“Goodness,” a breeze pushes through Liam’s lips. “Stellar is element 134. It was discovered in 2137 by Lee Stellar on an asteroid approaching present Clarum in the Andromeda Galaxy. This was during a mining expedition.
“With a melting point of 1,305 degrees Celsius and the most durable metal known to man. Stellar has been listed as the rarest metal in existence. Its purposes are for military equipment of countries able to attain it.