Excelsior

by George Sirois

  Acerus gently rubbed his forehead. “You do realize what this means for both Earth and for us if Danaak is revived and there is no one to stop him?”

  Katherine's voice trembled as she spoke up. She had never spoken like this to the High Elder. “I promised you I would find him, and I will not break that promise! I have already arranged for the sword to stay in this immediate area, so once I find him...”

  Just as Katherine raised her voice, Acerus raised his. “He MUST be found! Or else there will be no one to stop Danaak from getting the sword!”

  Katherine nodded. “I understand. I will not fail you.”

  “Do not worry about failing me. Just find him. Do what you must.”

  Katherine nodded, then hesitated before asking her next question. “Is there any news about my sister?”

  Acerus’ scowl immediately started to soften. “So far, there is nothing. I am sorry.”

  A tear started to slide down her right cheek. “There has to be something. They would not have just taken her to add her to the slaves they already have. Otherwise they would have taken anyone.”

  “If you have not felt the connection with her being severed, then she must be alive, Klierra. Be thankful in that. A Denarian with a gift like hers must be very valuable to them.. All I can ask is that you concentrate on what must be done. Have faith that you will see her again soon.”

  The hologram faded away. Katherine wiped her tears away, leaned back on the couch, then looked up at the ceiling, her mind exhausted.

  After sitting still for several moments, Katherine opened up her laptop computer, logged onto the Internet and clicked on her Favorites option. The .jpeg file of a beautiful sword surrounded by velvet ropes appeared on the screen. A burly security guard stood beside the sword in the picture.

  “Where are you?” Katherine whispered as she kept her eyes on the gleaming sword. As she looked at every little detail of the sword, she asked herself if she should give it one more shot. She clicked on her browser and typed in one word...

  Excelsior.

  The same search results as before opened on her screen, the list reminding Katherine about the many uses for the word "Excelsior" on the Internet. The word on the state flag of New York. The radio show host who would end his shows with “Excelsior, You Fathead.” A starship shown in a popular science-fiction film and television series named “Excelsior.” And, of course, some guy named Stan who uses the word “Excelsior” to end his columns.

  But one recently listed line caught Katherine's eye, a new listing that had never been posted online before. Katherine looked closer at the monitor and saw an online comic called “Excelsior,” the main item on a web page for a Mr. Matthew Peters.

  Katherine leaned forward and clicked on Matthew's web page. She sucked in her breath as she saw the comic about a man named Excelsior. A warrior who wielded a powerful sword and fought for the people of his home planet. The planet: Denab IV.

  For the next two hours, Katherine clicked on every issue on this site that she could find. The details that had gone into the characters of this comic took her breath away. The life that she had known on Denab IV was illustrated for the entertainment of readers.

  The more she read, the more elements she recognized. The day when one of the first generation of Denarians came in contact with the sword and absorbed Excelsior’s lifeforce, making him a man for the very first time. The first moment when he held up his sword and began to levitate, one of the only elements of his godly powers that remained when he was banished to become a human. The Krunations that tried to execute a sneak attack on Excelsior and were cut down one by one where they stood. All there, and all for readers' entertainment.

  How did these stories find their way here? Who could have taken these moments that were so vividly accurate and illustrated them like this?

  And who exactly was this Matthew Peters?

  Katherine clicked back to the main home page, and read the latest batch of comments that were left for Matthew in regards to this most recent issue:

  ExcelsiorFan97 (Registered) said – Great issue this week, man. What happens next?

  RocketMan233 (Guest) said – Dude, this is pretty cool. Where’d you come up with this?

  Sword of Power (Guest) said – First?

  ExcelsiorFan97 (Registered) said – Hey, SOP get the [CENSORED] outt here! Go take that “Frist” crap over to Moveitime or somethin!

  DenabIV (Registered) said – Hey Matt, when do we get to see his origin? I got some ideas for future issues. Should I send them to you?

  RavenMortis Nemesis (Registered) said – Way to rip off King Arthur, douche! EPIC FAIL!

  Matt’s Friend (Registered) said – Why'd you leave me to get beat up like that? We're gonna have words!

  HelmetCatch85 (Guest) said – Excelsior has a beer and cheets on hsi wife!

  Sword of Power (Guest) said – It’s FIRST, not FRIST you [CENSORED]!

  Katherine's eyes narrowed as she read further down the page. What kind of conversation was this? And what did HelmetCatch85 mean? “Haves a beer and cheats on his wife?”

  By the time Katherine reached the bottom of the page, she realized that she wouldn't get the information she needed out of these comments, especially the last ones when almost every word was censored out. So she clicked on the link that said: ABOUT ME. New text opened up on the screen, and Katherine read on…

  “Matthew Peters is the creator, writer and artist of Excelsior. He had been developing this character since 2011 and now that his comic is gaining more exposure, he hopes that this will become one of the most popular characters on the Internet. He is preparing to graduate high school and will be attending Hunter College in the fall to major in Communications. He lives in New York City.”

  No word at all about his parents. Where could they fit in all of this? The mentioning of high school gave Katherine a clue of his age, but she couldn't find a picture. How was she supposed to find him?

  Katherine stepped away from her computer and walked over to a black suitcase that was near her luggage. After opening it, she pulled out a small box, opened that one and reached inside. She pulled out a set of large dark goggles with two wires leading to a small control box, with the Denarian emblem stamped on the bottom. The emblem created by the Elders as a symbol for freedom featured the handle of Excelsior’s sword with the pale blue planet of Denab IV taking the place of the jewel at the end.

  She walked back to the computer and began her search. “You’re almost home.”

  CHAPTER 3

  Matthew had just finished his third impression of a bobble-head doll, and as he jerked awake, he reached for the can of cheap generic cola to fortify him. Empty. He threw the can aimlessly at the overflowing waste paper basket beside his bedroom desk and looked down. The details of his new sketch of the Highest Elder looked just right. He let out a silent yawn and he propped his head up with one hand. Maybe one more sketch if his eyelids would just cooperate.

  SLAM!

  Matt’s eyes shot open and his heart began pounding as the sound of the front door jolted him awake. What time was it? Had he missed his first class? He began fumbling in his dresser for some clean underwear when he looked out his window.

  “Why is it dark?” He checked the time: 8 p.m.

  Matthew let out a deep breath and sagged back into his chair. A deep gurgle reverberated in his quiet bedroom. He had gotten so caught up in his art that he forgot to eat dinner again. Matthew looked at the walls and smiled. “It was worth it.”

  He didn’t have decorations on his wall; he had a universe. Excelsior’s universe. Matthew turned so his chest pressed against the back of his chair and gazed at the makeshift timeline he had created using six white sheets of paper taped together. One big blue tack stuck into the far left end of the line.

  He squeezed his eyes shut and opened them a couple of times, then shook his hands as though he were flinging off water droplets. Once he felt his circulation going, Matthew stood up and propped his sketch
book up like an easel. He then took five steps away and smiled. Perfect, he thought. The eyes looked just right, weakened yet wise at the same time. And Acerus in particular looked fantastic. It wouldn’t be long in his storyline before the Elders could have their big moment in the sun. Matthew laughed a little at this ironic thought.

  There was a knock on his bedroom door.

  “Yeah?”

  Jason Peters walked in. While Matthew didn’t care about style, even he knew that his uncle wasn’t going to be a babe magnet. “At least his shirt is clean this time,” he thought. A frayed tan corduroy sports jacket from 1983 covered Jason’s wrinkled white button-down shirt. His dark hair managed to look bewildered, as if it didn’t know which way to lie. And the hollows under his eyes were almost the same shade as his considerable stubble. Jason reached down with one hand and adjusted the belt on his droopy jeans. In spite of his scrawny frame, his gut was getting bigger.

  “How’s it going, man?”

  Jason pushed the comforter off the unmade bed and sat down. Matthew prepared himself to point out the work he just finished when he noticed the glass in Jason's left hand. The tumbler had three cubes of ice, half-full with an amber liquid. He didn't have to smell his uncle to recognize whiskey.

  Matthew tried to hide his disappointment. “Not too bad. Shouldn't you be on a date right now?”

  Jason rolled his eyes. For a second Matthew had a glimpse of how he must look when he got bored listening to Mrs. Burton. “She cancelled... again.”

  “What happened this time?”

  “I told her I was at the office finishing a story and I’d be there in an hour, maybe less. She called me an asshole and a liar and hung up.” He shrugged. “What can you do, right?”

  Matthew tried not to sound skeptical, but he couldn't help himself. “And you were at the office, right?”

  Jason nodded. “This time I really was, yeah. So what are you working on?”

  Matthew smiled and handed Jason the sketchbook. His uncle carefully set down his drink and took the book. He studied the pages, nodding from time to time.

  “These are the Elders, huh? I was wondering what they looked like while you’ve had them in the shadows.”

  “Do you like them?” Jason's opinion regarding the comic meant a lot to him.

  Jason caught Matthew’s tone and gave him a smile. “I like them a lot. I just want to make sure that you know this is what they’ll look like. You’ve been holding off on showing their full faces for so long that you’re basically building up hype. If you’re sure this look won’t disappoint, then you gotta go with it.”

  Matthew nodded. “I think they’re good to go. Like you said, I have to make sure they’re worth the wait.”

  “What issue are they coming out in?”

  “I think I’m a couple away from revealing them. I just showed Excelsior coming back from defeating Nocterar and it’s just a little bit more time before he gets incapacitated.”

  Jason stood up and walked over to the timeline on Matthew's wall. “So that would put you...” He pulled the blue tack out of the wall and moved it six inches to the right before pushing the tack back in. “...over here. When Danaak takes over, right?”

  “Yup. And I didn't get to tell you, since you were... out. Working or whatever.”

  “Or whatever?” Jason's voice sounded tight but he didn’t meet Matthew’s gaze.

  ”Yeah, you know. Covering the board meeting or the police station or whatever. Anyway, since I was able to get the URL of the comic set up on the search pages, more and more people have been subscribing.”

  Jason took a deep breath and followed it with a small sip of his drink. “How many do you have now?”

  “Last time I checked, it was about 5,000 users already. I think we got another 3,000 brand new readers.”

  Jason nodded and took another sip. Matthew could see the light in his uncle’s eyes start to dim.

  “You all right?”

  Jason nodded. “It’s the anniversary, you know.”

  Matthew snapped. “Of course I know it’s the anniversary! They were MY parents who died, you know!” He stopped and took a deep breath and said more calmly, “But… I know I keep bringing this up every year, and I know it hasn’t happened yet…”

  Jason cut him off. “But you’re worried I’m going to have another drink after this and another after that, right?”

  “Well… I know I shouldn’t be worried, and I know you always tell me that you’re fine now. It’s just… well, I worry. I can worry, right?”

  Jason put his hand on Matthew's shoulder. The whiskey smell was stronger now. “Of course you can worry. But you can also trust me. I’m fine. I was fine last year, and the year before that. And even the year before that, when I got out.”

  Matthew nodded and smiled, doing his part to close the book on the whole discussion and move on to what was really important. Or at least, what was really important to him.

  “You know, speaking of getting into trouble, what's this I'm hearing from your history teacher? She said she keeps asking you to pay attention and you ignore her.”

  Matthew rolled his eyes. Why did she have to get his uncle involved with this? “I was paying attention, just not to what she was saying.”

  “I thought these character designs looked too intricate to be done in just a few hours after school. They look like many, many hours were dedicated to them. Am I right?”

  Matthew slowly nodded.

  Authority returned to Jason's voice. “Thought so,” Jason said. “Believe me, I know what it’s like to want to isolate yourself and just concentrate on what makes you feel good. But we all have to eventually do what we have to do to make it in life.”

  Matthew cut him off. “You want to finish that drink before you tell me this?”

  Jason winced. “Ouch. Guess I had that coming to me. Not much of an authority figure, am I?”

  Matthew studied his fingernails. “You’re all I’ve got.”

  Jason squeezed his shoulder with surprising strength. “Your grandparents love you, y’know. But Gramps is showing signs of Parkinson’s and their assisted living in California doesn’t allow kids. Not even teenagers. They call regularly, though. They want to know how we're making out and everything.”

  Matthew nodded. “Well... next time they call, you can tell them I'm doing just fine. And that you're doing a good job.”

  Jason laughed. “Now you're starting to sound like the authority figure.” He gently shook Matthew’s shoulder and his face lit up with a smile that made him look much younger.

  “So what’s in store for this week’s issue?”

  Matthew turned back toward his computer and punched a few keys on the keyboard. The latest issue opened up on a new screen and Jason took a closer look at the most recent adventure of Excelsior.

  “Very cool.”

  * * *

  “OUCH! Throngar’s backside!”

  Katherine struggled to balance her bulging briefcase as she hopped away from the rock her toe just struck. She must have passed it, angled decoratively near the driveway, a multitude of times.

  Mrs. Norris, soaking up the spring morning air in the embrace of her chaise lounge, lowered her reading glasses. “Are you okay, Dr. Sierra?”

  Katherine looked up and forced a smile through the pain. Was it her imagination, or was Mrs. Norris holding back laughter? “Good morning, Mrs. Norris. I'm fine, thanks. And it’s Katherine.”

  Mrs. Norris smiled. “Think you’ll make any new discoveries today... Katherine?”

  Katherine gave a light laugh as she pointed at the offending rock. “I think I just did.”

  The old landlady winced. “Oh dear, are you okay? My husband hurts himself on that all the time.”

  Katherine took a deep breath and stifled the sharp reply that stung the tip of her tongue. “I'm fine.” She waved to Mrs. Norris one last time while limping to her car.

  Once Katherine securely shut the car door, she removed her glasses and looke
d in the rear-view mirror. She squinted and noticed the deeper etching of the lines around her eyes. She then leaned her head against the steering wheel, feeling her exhaustion throb in time with her big toe.

  “Damn this planet.” Katherine shut her eyes. “You know where he is,” she whispered. “Just find him and bring him home.”

  * * *

  “Okay everyone, we have a very special guest today,” Mr. Hayhurst announced to his homeroom. He darted a nervous glance at the elegant woman standing beside him and feigned a yawn to check his breath. He didn’t usually go for older women, but this one... wow! What a figure! Slim, restrained curves like a fine sports car. So sophisticated. That accent! And those glasses! What he wouldn’t give to get a peek behind those black, impenetrable frames.

  “Class, this is Dr. Katherine Sierra from Tollund Laboratories. She has a fun experiment that has been okayed by the principal and she would like some student volunteers. Dr. Sierra?”

  Katherine stepped forward and Mr. Hayhurst smiled as she spoke. “Good morning, class. What I am holding is the latest in state-of-the-art technology. This is something that, once it is perfected, will be a staple in all of your guidance counselors' offices. You've all heard of virtual reality, right?”

  The students' muttering indicated that they had. Katherine continued. “Well, this takes the concept of virtual reality and turns it up a few notches. This is what we like to call ‘Virtual Future.’”

  Katherine could feel attention shift toward her, as the room grew quiet. “On these goggles is micro-technology that reads the brainwaves of the wearer. This micro-technology taps into the subconscious of the individual and translates their best potential future into images that play out before their eyes. Now, who wants to go first to discover what they should become?”

  Kristin Harrison raised her hand and Katherine motioned for her to come up to the front of the classroom. The slim blonde had no problem following instructions. She always paid close attention in class. Katherine adjusted the goggles on Kristin’s head around her pony tail and then activated her control box.