Adventure to Destiny: The Unity Objective Series

by Sandra Golden

  “Hanna and I have thought about this for some time. The next generation of Guardians was an easy choice, the only choice really, and should not be a surprise to anyone in this room.”

  Everyone’s head was nodding in agreement.

  “J.R and Helaina will make excellent Guardians. Usually at the age of 18, the next generation of Guardians begins learning about their heritage, and what we are about. But not this time, this time something is different about our future Guardians.”

  “Dad, you do realize they just turned 15, on June 16.”

  “Yes I know, but J.R and Helaina are different from previous generations. Charlie, David when did the two of you make your connection, knowing what the other thought, how they felt, and start your private communications?”

  Charlie and David looked at each other. Then they answered in unison, “We were 17.”

  “It happened to Hanna and I when we were 19.” William paused, knowing what he was about to say was unheard of. “J.R. and Helaina were able to Mind Speak together when they were 8 years old.”

  Joanna, David’s wife spoke up, “Dad how is that possible?”

  “I don’t know. I have two of our best scientists working on that question. I believe that J.R and Helaina are proof that we are evolving, getting stronger, wiser, and more sensitive to our environment.”

  William walked over to the desk, pulled open a drawer and retrieved a little pink note book. Immediately Joanna, David’s wife, recognized it.

  “Joanna, do you know what this is?”

  “Yes, it’s my daughters little book, she likes writing little things in it.”

  “It’s much more than that, I’m afraid. Yesterday morning, I was walking in the gardens before breakfast. I found Helaina sitting by the water fountain writing. I asked her what she was writing? She told me they were her “Dream Stories” that she had to write down because she didn’t want to forget and she “Felt them in her heart.” Curious, I asked if I could borrow one of the note books so I could read her stories, Helaina was hesitant but let me take this one note book. She had two others with her.”

  William took the pink note book and handed it to his wife Jennifer. “Jenny my love, you are our fastest reader, read a few of Helaina’s Dream Stories, then you tell us what they are.”

  Within seconds Jennifer Unity was turning page after page, reading them at a remarkable pace. When she was finished, she closed her eyes and laid the little book on her lap. Letting the words, she just read sink in, she looked visibly shaken and her son and daughter-in-law immediately went to stand by her side.

  “Mom what is it?”

  “I don’t understand, there is no way that she knows, this has never been written down before and it’s only in video files. These are things only the Elders and Guardians should know.”

  William spoke softly, “She knows them as dreams.”

  David asked, “Are you two going to tell us?”

  Jennifer looked around the room and took a deep breath. “Helaina is writing down the “Truths”, as if she were present and witnessing them first hand. She believes they are dreams, but in reality, it’s the truth about us, our heritage, what we are doing, how we have helped them evolved.”

  The room became silent; the Guardians began to think, trying to reason out the problem.

  David spoke, “I will talk to my daughter; she needs to know that she must not share her “Dream Stories” with anyone.”

  “Yes son, she needs to know that what she writes can impair what we are trying to accomplish. Don’t discourage her, or frighten her, handle the matter with gentle hands. Remember she is a sensitive child, but incredibly intelligent. It might be best if she lets you keep her “Dream Stories” in a safe place.” William continued to make his case to the family.

  “There are other signs which tell us that Helaina and J.R need to start their education. Hanna what was that gadget that your grandson gave you as a present.” Hanna was William’s older sister, by just 3 minutes. Out of the two she was the creative thinker.

  “J.R presented me with this beautiful watch for Christmas, he told me that it could tell me how much energy a person had. What he really produced was a meter which told exactly how much of our DNA, was in a person. When held up to William and I, and Charlie, you see that the needle points to 100%. We know that Katie’s father was a half breed, and her mother full blood, which makes her three quarters, watch the needle when I get close to her.”

  The family looked closely as the little gold watch correctly foretold Katie’s, Charlie’s wife, heritage.

  Hanna spoke quietly, but confidently, “There has never been an instrument created to correctly identify how much of our energy, our make-up or genes, is in a person. That is until now! Since I have had this little device I have tested it countless times, and it has always been correct. I have had our best technical engineers study it, analyze it, and none of them can figure out how J.R produced it.”

  The room became silent, everyone’s mind calculating the possibility on how such a device could be constructed by a fifteen-year-old. It was the mothers of the two children who spoke up. Joanna Unity, Helaina’s mom and David’s wife, spoke first. Helaina had her mother’s beautiful hair and her long legs but there the resemblance ended. Helaina was definitely her father's daughter when it came to appearances, but her personality came from her mother. Both mother and daughter were nurturers, they were the happiest when they were taking care of a child or an animal, both were very cautious, detailed orientated and meticulous organizers.

  “William is right! If the children are exhibiting such knowledge now, can you just imagine how much more their young minds will take in? With such knowledge brings much responsibility and power. They need to learn now how to accept that responsibility for the good.”

  It was then Katie Black's turn to join in the discussion. Like her son, J.R, she never wanted to be left out of anything. Katie and Charlie were both the adventurers in the family, and their children took after them. “I agree, even though they are very young. I think it would be best for “Unity”, that William begin their education. Helaina and J.R would benefit from his knowledge, and they enjoy spending time with him and Jennifer. Besides, he knows how to make things fun for the kids, being a 65-year-old teenager himself.”

  The family laughed, Katie always seemed to know how to remove the tension from a tense situation, because she always saw the good in everything. She then continued, “Joanna and I think that it would be best for them to spend the summer months here on Hope Island with William and Jennifer, then in the fall return to a more traditional schooling. What do the rest of you think?”

  As the family discussed their future J.R. and Helaina played a carefree game of Marco Polo with their siblings and other cousins. Enjoying the hot summer day as only the young could. An odd feeling came over Helaina; she got out of the pool and walked to the edge of the garden. With the hot sun making the water droplets on her skin look like shimmering diamonds she stared out towards the beach. Suddenly she shriveled, goose bumps appearing on her young body. J.R had followed his cousin sensing that something was not right.

  “Is something wrong?” J.R wanted to know.

  “Yes! I have a feeling someone is watching us. And I am not talking about Nannies, Parents, or Staff. I don't think this is good, I feel like...”

  “Like someone is threatening us,” J.R finished Helaina's thought.

  “That's exactly it! J.R can you feel it? Can you feel that we are changing?”

  “They call that puberty.”

  “NO! That's not it. I don't want to be different. I want to be like everyone else. I'm really scared!”

  “You sure jump from one subject to another! Of course, we are different; we can talk to each other within our heads silly. That just makes us special. Mom once told me That everyone's unique in some way. Because if everyone in the world was the same the world would be a boring place to live in.” J.R was trying hard to comfort his cousin the best h
e could, he wanted to protect her from the unknown eyes that were upon them. “And yes I feel like I am changing, but change is good, right?

  “I guess so. But who is watching us?”

  “Don't worry about that right now. Just remember that Hope Island is one of the safest places on the planet, and with the Secret Service here this week, we couldn't be safer. Now come on let’s go play Spy Games before my dad and yours take over the video game, playing one of their endless tournaments.”

  CHAPTER TWO

  THE FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION

  OR

  J.R’S VERSION OF THE BIG BANG

  After dressing in their best evening wear, eating the best steaks and sea food that money could buy, after all the boring speeches were made, and as the tables were being cleared away for dancing, the younger children were taken up to their room to sleep, to rest up for the all the excitement which would come tomorrow. This left only the adults, any family member above the age of 10, and their honored guests to enjoy the music and to dance the night away. It was a perfect summer evening. No cloud dared to appear in the sky, the heat from the day had cooled down to a very comfortable 80 degrees, and every star looked like someone had personally placed it on the black velvety background of the night sky after they had polished it to look its best.

  Helaina danced with her father, dressed in a pink chiffon dress, made especially for her by her talented mother. Her hair was falling down upon her shoulders with stylish pink feathers clipped on. Her mother also made the matching accessory. The accessory, which Helaina protectively wore close to her side, looked like a small rectangle bag, about four inches wide, and six inches long, it was hanging on a long decorative chain. One would think that the little bag held the things that young girls used like lipstick and a comb. But inside the bag, however, curled up in a tight ball, secured with a little collar and leash that attached to the inside was Helaina’s favorite companion. A little Sugar Glider her father had given her for her 15th birthday a few weeks before. The little animal was a dark gray, with a dark brown stripe running down her small body and when curled up looked like she was the size of a large peanut. That was the name Helaina had given the little marsupial, Peanut.

  While she danced with her father Helaina spotted her cousin J.R. sneaking off down the garden bath on the way to the beach. When the dance was finished, she followed him, kicking off her shoes when she reached the sandy beach, she then ran after her cousin. As she ran she could hear little Peanut noisily protesting the fact that she was being roughly bounced around. Peanut wasn't shy about telling her human when she wasn't happy about something. Helaina took one hand and held the bag close so Peanut could have a much smoother ride and continued following J.R. She caught up to him just as he reached the barge that held the fire works for the celebration, the next night.

  J.R. dressed in a dinner jack and slacks, with his discarded tie carelessly tucked into his back pocket, didn’t need to turn around to know that Helaina was following him, he just knew she was near. When he reached his destination, he turned around and just waited for her to catch up with him.

  “Go back and dance with that handsome prince, I saw you drooling over at dinner.”

  “He’s a terrible dancer. He stepped on my new shoes and scuffed them all up. What are you doing here?”

  “I’m working on a surprise for our dads.”

  “That’s the barge with the fireworks; Granddad said that everyone was restricted from being near that, because it was dangerous. Only the explosive expert and his crew are allowed here. We will be in trouble if they catch us.”

  “Stop being a mother hen. Besides I’m not going to touch the fire-works, I just want to get into the computer that controls them to upload a program.”

  “And what’s this program?”

  “A program that will make the fire-works dance to a song.”

  “Cool! And what song would that be?”

  “A Country Boy Can Survive, by Hank Williams Jr.”

  “That’s our dad’s favorite song! They sing it at camp fires when we go camping, when they go fishing, and I swear my dad sings that song every day in the shower. That’s why I think it would be nice to have the fireworks preform with that song for them. After all, they are the new CEO’s, and they should have their favorite song performed for them.”

  “That’s a wonderful idea, come on I’m going to help.”

  It took J.R. and Helaina just 5 minutes to find the computer that controlled the fireworks and install the special program that he had designed for their fathers. They were back at the estate and eating chocolate cake before anyone knew that they were gone, so they thought. Both sets of grandparents sat at a table near the edge of the patio enjoying their cocktails, and watching the younger generation dance. They saw their two mischievous grandkids sneak back into the party. They looked at each other, and they all started laughing, all thinking the same thing. “What are they up to now?”

  “I think that maybe we’re all in for a little surprise tomorrow,” William remarked.

  There was way too much noise, and to many people around for William to use his unique skill on the two teenagers.

  As the festivities took place outside, one lone person was on another mission. Hired by the Unity Corporation to pilot their guests to and from the island in the Corporate Helicopter, he had developed a trusting relationship with his employers. For two years, he watched, he listened, and he waited. Taking a walk yesterday he stumbled on the conversation between Granddaughter and Grandfather. William’s interest in the young girl’s writings and the look on his face when he read a few pages in the little pink book, told him that he just might have stumbled on something that his other employers might be interested in. So, this night, when everyone was celebrating, he took the house elevator to the second-floor study. When he opened the door to the study, there it was, right on the desk. He just walked over, put the little pink book in his jacket pocket, then went back to the party. The Unity family didn’t have any security at the house, no cameras, no gates or fences. Security checks were made on the main land before anyone was permitted to come to the island. The only law enforcement on the island was a small sheriff’s office, with 8 trained police officers to take care of the residents of the island. All employees had intense background checks; all residents employed and taken care of by the Unity Group. The family felt safe on their island, protected from the outside. But this was no ordinary, rich, family, and it was his mission to discover the secrets that they were protecting from outsiders.

  Despite the late night everyone was up early the next morning. Everyone in some way would participate in the parade that would travel down the main street of the little town on Hope Island. The children had decorated small floats, their bicycles and wagons, and wore patriotic costumes that their mothers had sewn especially for the occasion. Helaina even made Peanut, her Sugar Glider, a special bag to ride in, it was a red velvet bag in which she had decorated it with white and blue stars made from glitter. She even put a tiny little bandanna around Peanuts tiny neck, but not without a lot of fussing from Peanut, who wouldn’t cooperate with her. Peanut finally let the girl have her way, figuring that the second that she was securely in her caring pouch she would strip the irritating fabric from around her neck and turn it into a little blanket that she could curl up in and sleep away the day.

  The parade was great fun. The whole population was out this special morning to celebrate the holiday and to celebrate the retirement of their outgoing CEO’s. The community was showing their support and showing them how much they would be missed.

  First the island’s high school band performed the national anthem and the Star-Spangled Banner. They were followed by William and Hanna, along with their spouses, riding in a 1940 Ford Convertible painted red, white and blue for the occasion. Following them in a blue 1915 Studebaker SD touring car was David and Jennifer Unity and their children, Helaina, and Cassie. Next came Charles and Katie Black, with their children J.R, Pa
ul, and Tina, they traveled in a fire engine red 1947 Chevrolet convertible. The rest of the family followed them, all in antique cars that were owned and maintained by William Unity himself. It was his favorite past time to restore what was old, and not working, back into useful and beautiful machines. The parade also had clowns, stilt walkers, and people who made balloon animals. Floats showed off the prized winning, oversized vegetables that some of the residents grew. There were street venders handing out free cold drinks and hot dogs. The different clubs on the island had floats that had been judged and had been awarded prizes for their efforts by the parades organizers. It was a typical Independence Day parade that any small town would put on for their residents, with the outside of the stores and businesses along the route decorated for the celebration. The participants, as well as those who watched from the sidewalk, enjoyed this time of celebration. Unknown to them, that in their mist were two FBI agents who were watching closely, looking for anything that was not what it was supposed to be. They were there at the invitation of William Unity and Hanna Black.

  Following the parade the ocean front park was opened, carnival rides, a petting zoo, and lots of games that awarded the winners with big stuffed animals were available for the residents of Hope Island. Barbecue teams set up their grills, then began cooking various meats, fish and poultry. The first official duty of their new CEO’s was to judge the team’s best efforts and award them cash prizes. What a tasty way to begin their new positions.

  During the day, no one was granted passage to the island, and patrol boats kept watch, like they did on any given day. Hope Island was a happy secure place and no one had any worries, at least not today. Soon the day turned to night, the stars brilliantly shown down upon the beautiful island, a soothing breeze cooled everyone’s sun burned skin. David and Charlie handed out the last of the trophies and big checks to the winners of the barbecue cooking contest. Colorful ribbons were given out to those who won the watermelon seed spitting contest, the pie eating contest, the cake decorating contest and the best decorated bike, and the cutest animal costume. Unfortunately for Helaina, Peanut refused to wear her costume and preferred to remain sleeping throughout the whole day. J.R teased Helaina telling her that Peanut should have gotten a prize for sleeping through all the noise. It seemed that everyone on the island had their hands filled with prizes and good food. It was now time to sit back and relax on the beach to enjoy the concert and the elaborate fire-works display.