We walked in, and a tall man stood up. He glanced at me, and then reached out to shake my hand. As he did, he said, "My name is John Bridges. I'm very pleased to meet you Mr. Rutger."
"Please! Just call me Mike," I replied as we shook hands. We broke hand contact, and as we did, I sensed him scanning me heavily.
He looked at me closely, and said, "I know everything you told my son. I understand your need for revenge, but you are very young. I don't think you’ve existed long enough to truly understand the word, forever." He glanced at Tucker, and said, "If you were my son, I’d forbid you even discussing it. The plan the Magi have dreamed up may not even work. If you fail, your sacrifice would be for nothing!"
"Have you ever lost love, and hope?" I asked. Without thinking my words through, I said, "Everything I loved was taken from me. Now, I finally realize, there was a driving force behind it. Forget revenge! I’m compelled to bring an end to this, no matter what the cost. The concept of an Earth without the Madness, is a cause I’ll gladly die for."
A huge smile had spread across Satu-Ra's face. Another heavy scan ran across me, as he said, "I can see your heart. I know you speak the truth, but you must understand two things. The first is, that I must believe this will succeed, or I’ll forbid you to go. The second, is that you must wait until the moment is right, and then strike. Till then, you must be patient, and stop trying to get yourself killed!" The final sentence was accented heavily, and I realized I was being scolded.
John Bridges stood beside his son, talking. It was interesting seeing them side by side. The Father had the heavy frame of a boxer, or gladiator. The son was more refined, yet in a way, far more intense. I suspect either one would be intimidating if they came after you. I'm slightly over six feet tall, and John bridges was about an inch taller than me. His son was at least an inch or two taller than he was.
Aside from their appearance, there was another aspect that was very noticeable. The father and son hardly spoke aloud to each other at all. It was all done telepathically. The energy levels they were throwing off were through the roof. I had often been told my aura, and energy levels, were crazy next to most people. Here were two men that matched my ability to pull up an energy spike. Within minutes of meeting Tucker's Father, I realized why this man was in charge. He was a natural leader, and one of the most powerful living entities I’ve ever seen.
For almost an hour, he questioned me. First about myself, and then to make sure I understood what was being asked of me. The link was full of the man's presence, and as we talked, I found myself scanning him without intending to. His memories would wash across me in waves. After several minutes, I knew this man was a true Guardian. Here stood the pure essence of what makes the Guardians an awesome force.
Yet he needed my help!
For the first time, I began to grasp the entire picture, and what was at stake. It wasn't about Earth, or even our Galaxy. It was about the greatest single evil, to ever threaten the Universe. For thousands of years, events had been building to this day, and now, I was here. A group, known as the Magi, had a premonition. They dreamed that I was going to show up. They sold the Guardians on the concept, that I could finally stop all this from causing the end of all life as we know it.
I had kind of understood this all along. Despite that, I started feeling kind of sick at my stomach. After a minute, Satu-Ra pointed at a doorway, and asked, "Do you need to freshen up?" I knew he could sense my discomfort. I excused myself, went, and got sick. When I returned, I could tell he was concerned for my health. He cared, and that impressed me as much as anything. Here was a man who wouldn't waste my life. He would give me my best chance, to finally carry out the Magi's premonition.
When I returned to our meeting, everyone had taken seats, and Madias gestured me to do the same. I sat down, and John Bridges quietly asked if I was feeling better. I truthfully said I felt a lot better. We continued our talk on various topics, till he asked, "Do you feel you are ready to join the fleet?"
I nodded, and said, "I'm ready any time you are."
He had been very calm and self-assured as we talked. I could tell from my scans that he was being candid with me. I liked the guy already, and saw no reason to put this off.
"You must return home as you promised," Madias reminded me.
He was right of course. "I do have a few things to take care of." I agreed. "May I have a day to pack my bags and return?"
Both Satu-Ra and Tucker gave nodded permission, and one of the giant men I had seen walked into the room. Madias stood up, and I could tell our meeting was over. Tucker stood up, and joined us as we walked out. He seemed pretty pleased, yet we walked back to Tucker's office in total silence. It was only as we reached the office, that I realized the other two men had been transferring information in the link.
We all sat down, and Tucker said, "Well! That went nicely!" It was obvious he was greatly pleased.
"Your Father seemed pretty skeptical to me," I pointed out. "I didn't get the feeling he was really sold on this."
Tucker almost laughed, and said, "Father wouldn't have even discussed it if he didn't approve. I could tell in the link that he has faith in you."
Slightly more reserved, Madias addressed Tucker, saying, "Your Father is against this, but he and I both know this is our only chance."
Some of the younger man's excitement waned, but he still looked pretty pleased. We all talked for about another hour, and then Madias and I left for our return to Earth. As we got up to leave, Tucker stood, and shook my hand goodbye. We paused for a moment, and Tucker said, "My Father and I look forward to working with you. We will expect to see you again in a few days."
I acknowledged his remark. Then Madias and I left for the return trip home to Earth. We never spoke till we were almost back to the moon. On final approach to the base we had piloted Shasue from, Madias glanced over, and said, "You've been very quiet since we left Signey Octurus. Are you alright?"
"It's so much to take in," I replied. "Even seeing it with my own eyes, it difficult to contemplate."
Madias and I had become friends, and I could tell in the link that he was on edge as well. "How about you? Are you alright?" I asked. He nodded absent mindedly. Then went back to piloting the ship into the hangar.
We had stepped out of the ship, and headed for the surface airlock, so we could fold space for home. We walked through the moon base, and as we arrived at the airlock, I asked, "Why the tour Madias? You and I could have folded space from Earth. We easily have the jump range to have gone directly there. There was no need to use Shasue as a transport ship."
"I wanted you to begin to see what you are getting into," He responded quietly. "I want you to understand our resources, and how many people are behind you. I can assure you, there will be times you’ll feel alone. I want you to grasp the weight of what is being asked of you."
"I understand," I replied. "I'm good to go!"
"Should that change, you must tell me at once," Madias said, growing stern. "People are going to die to put you in position. If you change your mind, or feel you can't do this, I must know at once." I simply nodded in acknowledgement. Then Madias said, "Tucker and Satu-Ra will scan you several times before you are finally deployed against the Beast. If they ever doubt you, the entire thing will be called off."
"I never fail," I observed quietly. "I may be put off, but I always strike my target!"
"I'm aware of that," Madias remarked. "I have faith in you. The Magi believe you were put here to stop the Darkness from consuming this galaxy, and to bring about the end of the Madness. I have spent time with you, and I believe they are right. It will be important that you believe it as well."
We stood, looking out the view ports for a moment when we reached the surface. I still can't get over how brightly the stars shine without an atmosphere to block them. Then Madias turned to me, and asked, "Are you ready to go home?" I nodded, and we folded space for Earth.
Our arrival home was apparently expected. The yard in front
of the house had six formations of Guardians standing at attention. The area is extremely remote, but I knew this would draw unwanted attention if we were observed. Before I could say anything, the front door to the house swung open, and Kathy walked out.
Koda and Heather stepped out right behind her, and seconds later Tim and Lisa joined them. They were all dressed in Guardian combat uniforms, and to put it mildly, I wasn't happy.
"I want you to all remain here on Earth," I instructed them. "At least I'll know you're safe here."
"Are you kidding?" Tim cut in. "Have you forgotten what I do for a living?"
Madias stepped close to me at this point, and said, "They are of the Chosen! They serve freely, and you can't refuse their service. It is their right to follow you!"
"I don't care!" I snapped back. "I thought it was understood, they are to be kept out of harm’s way."
Kathy stepped close to me, and in a serious voice, said, "I'm going to start kicking you if you don't shut up!"
The remark caught me off guard, and I stood there trying to think of a reply. Before I could respond, Koda said, "Face it Mike! We're all going with you!"
"What about the house?" I asked. Even as I said it, I realized how feeble the question sounded.
"Agent Vargas has taken care of all the arrangements," Kathy noted quietly. "We are free to go, and we intend to."
I ran out of words. I love these people as if they are my own family. Terribly conflicted, I said, "Please don't do this Kathy! This isn't like the old days. We're badly outclassed here."
"You taught us to stand alone when we had to," Tim noted. "You also taught us the importance of the team. You taught us too well, for us to let you go alone now." I could see their minds were made up, and let it drop, but I wasn't happy about it.
"How soon do we depart?" I asked Madias.
"We leave for the fleet in two hours," he responded. "A transport ship has been dispatched, and we will be ready to leave when it arrives."
"Let's get ready then!" Koda said without hesitation. "I'll go grab my stuff."
As a group, the team all started back into the house. Madias placed his hand on my elbow to stop me from following. He said, "I'm going to make arrangements for transporting your people. I will be back at nightfall, and we shall all leave together. I have a simple request before we go. I have noticed during my scans, that you keep a personal log. For historical reasons, I would like a copy to be sent to Professor Bahn, for safe keeping."
"You want a copy of my personal diaries?" I asked.
"Yes," he acknowledged. "Most people don't keep a journal in today's world. I feel yours will someday be important."
"Give it to Professor Bahn?" I asked to confirm the instructions.
"Yes," Madias agreed. "Just for the last year or two, since this all began."
I nodded that I understood, and Madias turned to walk away. I looked out across the lawn at the Guardians, and for the first time, I realized my life on Earth is over. I’ll never be the same again.
Closing
I’ve made arrangements to deliver my last two journals to Professor Bahn. If you are reading this, I’m probably dead, and we’ll never meet. I'm sorry for that. I’ll miss the Earth, and its people. I hope I can finally do something to stop the violence that wracks my world.
I want my final comments here to reflect my love for my wife Nancy. She was a beautiful creature, taken from me by a great evil. I’ll make it pay for hurting her. If it takes the rest of eternity, I will make it pay for hurting my beloved, and so many others!
The End
About the Author
Ivan Bridgewater
Ivan was born and raised in Southern Indiana. He was honorably discharged in 1980 after serving a six-year tour in the US Airforce as a Security Specialist. He has traveled a lot, but now lives in a tropical paradise, Florida, is semi-retired, and writes. He currently creates, writes, and publishes the book series, The Books of Satu-Ra, The Kingdom Kaltar Farsara Built, The Koda Files, The Rostervaust Project, The Books of Anso Madulac, along with books of assorted short stories.
Book Collection Synopsis
For
"The Books of Satu-Ra"
"The Koda Files"
"The Kingdom Kaltar Farsara Built"
By
Ivan M. Bridgewater Jr.
Hello! My name is Ivan Bridgewater, and I want to speak to you about a collection of books I have written. I began writing on May 11th 2013 and have been having fun ever since.
The book this synopsis is printed in, is one book in a collection of books. The entire collection will encompass a total of twenty books.
The basic premise of all the books discussed here, is that the people of planet Earth suffers a madness. It is as if the people of Earth all have a mild form of rabies. If you can't imagine it, you haven't seen the evening news programs lately.
Because of the Madness, the Earth, and many other worlds, are kept isolated from the rest of life in the Milky Way Galaxy! As the various book series progress, it becomes obvious that an evil force known as "The Darkness" is responsible for the Madness, and so much more! The minions of the Darkness are stirring, and they wish to destroy not only all life on Earth, but our entire galaxy, just as it has done to so many other galaxies.
There are forces prepared to fight back in the battle against the Darkness. The primary force is a group that is known as the Guardians. The Guardian leader, Satu-Ra, is the teller of the majority of the stories in the series. At a glance, he appears to be a human about thirty years old, but he is an 8000-year-old Guardian of Earth.
There is also a second, parallel part of the series, named "The Koda Files," and a third named, "The Kingdom Kaltar Farsara Built," both of which run in parallel to the original Satu-Ra stories.
The complete book collection is divided into five sets of books, with four books in each set.
The first set of four books is titled, "The Books of Satu-Ra!" In this series, you are introduced to the Darkness and its minions, as well as the Guardians, and Satu-Ra. As the story progresses, and the first four books play out, the battle grows ever larger and more fierce. Satu-Ra is forced to take steps in the defense of Earth he may later come to regret. At every turn, the men in grey are just on the verge of destroying the Guardians, and bringing the battle to a horrific end for Earth.
The second set of four books is titled, "The Return of Satu-Ra!" In this series, Satu-Ra and his allies continue to battle the Darkness and its various minions. The losses are great, but hope grows stronger with each passing day. A group of Earthers known as the Chosen have shaken off the Madness. Only time will tell, but it looks like the Earth may yet be freed of the Madness all together.
The third set of four books is titled, "The Koda Files!" In this series, an old, retired professional killer named Mike Rutger is teamed with a young, novice, woman, killer, named Koda. As the Koda Files progress, Mike and Koda fight against evil on Earth, while evading its authorities. In the final books, they become involved with the battle against the Darkness, and battle the greatest evil threat of all. Only two of these books are complete at this time
The fourth set of four books is titled "The Kingdom Kaltar Farsara Built!" In this series, a great Magi named Kaltar Farsara is introduced. As the series progresses, the young teen Magi learns of Earth, his powers, and the Darkness he must battle. Along the way, he also learns about love, and what it really means to grow up. Only three of these books are complete at this time
The fifth, and final set of four books, is titled "The Final Battles for Earth!" In this series, Satu-Ra, Kaltar Farsara, and Mike Rutger, all band together, along with their allies, in a final, all-out battle against the Darkness! These final books aren’t fully finished, so we must wait to see how the war ends. Only three of these books are complete at this time
One distinctive part of this overall book collection is the way series two, three, and four, all run in parallel to each other. In essence, three witnesses all tell thei
r version of events as they occur. This allows the book collection's readers to feel better immersed in the universe of Satu-Ra, and the battle he fights to save us all!
As you read the book collection, you will learn of alien worlds. Of battles pitting good against true evil. Friendships are born, and funerals are held! A mythos is created that goes beyond a few books, and becomes a story vast in scale. Through time and space. Even across dimensions. Love, sacrifice, bravery, and all the things that make a story worth telling.
A total of 16 out of the twenty books are fully written. The balance of the books should be fully published by the end of 2019. I hope you will join us, as we bring this universe to life.
Book Collection Synopsis
For
"The Books of Anso Madulac"
"The Rostervaust Project"
"The Fireside Collection of Short Stories"
By
Ivan M. Bridgewater Jr.
Aside from the Satu-Ra Collection, I’ve also published three more independent book collections. The First is the books of Anso Madulac. The second is The Rostervaust Project. The third is my “Fireside Collection” book series.
About the Book Series: "Anso Madulac”:
Anso Madulac isn’t like any other vampire you’ve ever heard of. He wasn’t bitten. He drank from a flask, given to him by an old man, he believed would give him knowledge. Instead, the flask gave him immortality, and a thirst for human blood.
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