Adventure to Destiny: The Unity Objective Series

by Sandra Golden

  It was such a big moment in their lives, and such a touching sight to see J.R and Helaina being welcomed to the community of Station One, it brought tears of joy to Selena, and the women who were attending such a momentous occasion. William, who was bursting with pride, even let a tear escape but wiped it away before anyone could see, but a few did. No one faulted him this because he had the right to be touched by this moment, just as everyone else had. A photographer and a video artist were present, taking pictures and video of the event that later in the day they would be broadcasted to the other stations around the world.

  Standing back in the crowd the kids saw some familiar faces. They were applauding harder than anyone, and yes tearing up, at seeing J.R and Helaina, because they couldn‘t be any more proud of them. There stood J.R’s parents Charlie and Katie Black, and his Grandmother Hanna Unity Black. Beside them were Helaina parents, David and Joanna Unity, and of course Jennifer Unity stood close by. After receiving their gold keys, the crowd parted, and the two young people were able to join their families.

  “You’re all here.” They said in unison.

  “You think we would miss this big moment?” said David and Charlie in unison, making everyone laughed.

  “Grandma we thought you were volunteering at the hospital today,” said Helaina.

  “That my darling was a little fib; someone had to help pick up everyone at the air field. I would never miss such a special occasion.”

  Joanna and Katie, with tears in their eyes, gave their children a hug, and brought them each a present. New cell phones with GPS locators, after all, they needed to be able to find them, especially now that they believed them to be “The Ones”.

  Peanut, not liking all the commotion retreated back into Helaina’s purse to take a nap. Sometimes Helaina's purse was a more interesting place to be because that's was where she always carried a little supply of food and water for long days away from home. Sometimes Peanut would find one of her favorite snacks, which she did today. A nice big yogurt covered raisin. Peanut would always nibble the yogurt off the raisin then toss the raisin away. Peanut didn't like raisins, Helaina always scolded her for leaving the raisins in all the wrong places. She was especially upset to find one in her hair, when this happened Helaina didn't give her the treat for a week.

  “Dad, we are going to stay with you. We all want to see the balls,” said David Unity.

  “Granddad told you about the balls?” asked J.R.

  “Sure did, and all about your adventures; how brave, clever, sneaky and secretive you both have been the last few weeks,” said Charlie.

  Two people in white lab coats, pushing what looked like a metal box with glass doors that was about six feet high and about 4 feet wide, were motioned forward by John Garfield.

  John Garfield addressed his special guests, “We would like to study the balls you found. And we have built a special case to hold them.”

  William said, “Two must stay horizontal to each other, and two vertical to each other, is that correct?”

  J.R stepped forward seemly taking charge of this situation. “This white ball, and the gold one Granddad has must stay vertical, Helaina and I found them in a hatch under the Pier,” J.R explained simply.

  He placed the ball he was holding on a shelf in the middle of the cabinet, then took the gold one that William was carrying and placed it next to his.

  J.R turned to his cousin, “Can you turn around, so I can get those two out of your back pack?”

  “Sure, be careful!”

  She turned around so J.R could get the two crystal cases containing the remaining two balls from her back pack.

  First he took the top one and placed it on the top shelf of the cabinet, the second he put on the bottom shelf, just below the two balls he and William carried. Being confident with his new position he gave the two scientists instructions, “My cousin dreamed that the balls glowed when all four were out of their bags. We don’t know what that means but we think they do something together. Please don’t uncover them when they are all together.”

  William, Hanna, David and Charlie witnessed J.R taking control of this exchange and they couldn’t be more proud of his assurance and confidence.

  Helaina, being a little shy at having been the center of attention and being around so many people finally found her voice. “I believe that the balls have some sort of power, but they can only work for J.R and I. Before they do anything we have to build J.R’s machine, and the Story Chamber has to be part of it.”

  Helaina turned to her Dad and Uncle, “Dad, Granddad said we can keep the balls, we found them. They are so very beautiful. Can we go to the lab so we can show you them. One at a time, of course?”

  David was beaming with pride at his daughter, “I don’t see why not, and they are yours but its best they stay here for a while, just to be sure they can’t harm you.”

  Everyone followed Selena Blanchard and John Garfield to the lab, which would become a temporary home for the four crystal cases and their precious cargo. Along the way they took their time as Selena pointed out various buildings, and explained what took place within each of them.

  “Is that a big Aquarium over there?”

  Helaina was now with the family she loved, and was comfortable enough to come out of her shell. The shell she put up around herself when new situations were thrust upon her, or when she was with people she didn’t know. It was like she pulled away until she could assess the person or the situation. When she felt secure she would become her natural talkative self.

  “That’s more than an Aquarium,” Joanna Unity told her daughter. “That is one of my favorite places in the world. Marine Biologist, and Etiologist, those who study animal behavior, work together to learn about sea creatures. It’s so much fun to sit in the center and watch as the marine life swim around you.”

  “Is there a zoo here?” J.R wanted to know.

  “No, not down here, we do have the Nature Park on the island. I do believe that another station has a zoo where they are able to study animals,” Katie Black acknowledged.

  “Is this the place where the waterfall disappeared to?”

  “No J.R. It didn't come here. We really don't know where it went. We have a few scientists working on that but they haven't come up with a logical conclusion yet,” explained John Garfield.

  Helaina said something that made everyone come to a complete stop and stare at the poor girl making her feel uncomfortable. “You're not going to find it because it was a gift from those who gave us the pretty balls. It was meant just for us.”

  “How do you know?”

  “I don't know! I just do. If you look at the pictures we took, and all the copies that granddad made, you will discover them blank. It is like we were privileged to be in such a place that only existed for such a short time.” To make her point Helaina pulled an envelope from her purse and handed it to the mother. “Those are the pictures J.R printed out, from my camera of the waterfall, the images disappeared, and they disappeared from my memory card also.”

  “Helaina's right,” Joanna said, as she quickly shuffled through the blank photos.

  Noting that all the attention was on her, something that Helaina hated, she decided to change the subject, “Let me guess, that building over there studies babies?”

  “How did you come to that conclusion?” J.R squinting his eyes as he looked at the building, thinking the building itself was giving a hint to what was inside but he couldn’t see it.

  “Because it looks like a baby bottle, butt head.”

  Everyone thought that was funny except J.R so he hit his cousin on the shoulder. “Don’t call me names.”

  “Helaina don’t call names, and J.R stop hitting your cousin,” Katie demanded.

  “Well, is that where they study babies?” Helaina asked again, giving J.R a dirty look.

  “You’re close, Princess,” David used his pet name for her. “That building there is where scientists called Geneticist work. They study genes an
d how different traits are inherited. It also has a cafeteria that serves the best spaghetti and meatballs that I ever had, and has an ice-cream bar. It's one of my favorite places to visit when I‘m here.”

  They began walking again. The two men who pushed the cart with the balls had continued without them, and had already disappeared into a building. Now everyone else resumed the tour.

  “Over there is a hand ball court and gym. Behind that building there are some apartments, swimming pools and a small golf course. We also have a few stores, and a movie theatre, because there are some people who prefer to live down here, but most live up on the island. And of course, there are some people who just come to visit,” explained Hanna Black.

  The family, along with Selena Blanchard and John Garfield, reached their destination. Before them were three very large and very long air-plane hangars. On either side of the hangers were two buildings made of steel and glass. A three story high sky bridge went across the top of the three hangers, serving as a passage from one building to the other. The sky bridge looked like it had been built right on top of the hangers, yet you still could see the elevators which came from the upper floor and traveled down into each one of the large metal buildings.

  “This is the largest building in Station one,” John informed J.R and Helaina.

  “This is where Mechanical engineers, Electric Engineers and Computer Engineers work together to build new and innovating machines. They also study things, to see how they work, just like we will do with the balls that you two discovered.”

  “Wow! I think this is going to be my favorite place.”

  “Don’t we all know that?” Helaina teased.

  “Well! What are we waiting for? I can’t wait to get in there to explore.”

  “Uncle Charlie you might want to put a leash on him, want to use Peanut’s?” Helaina said making everyone in the group burst out laughing as they went into the main office.

  CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

  MORE THAN JUST PRETTY CRYSTALS

  The metal chest, containing the balls in their crystal cases had been at the lab for half an hour, before the Unity family finally made their way to the lab. A scientist was replacing one back into the chest when the group approached him.

  “Dr. Garfield, we haven’t yet begun to analyze the balls. We have come upon a problem.”

  “I know what the problem is; you can’t open the crystal boxes.”

  “That’s correct Miss Unity, we can’t. Do you have the solution?” the scientist asked Helaina.

  “Yes, my dream story told me, two nights ago. But I was afraid to try it.”

  “Would you like to show us?” asked William.

  Helaina thought about this for a minute, wondering if it was safe. J.R heard her, because she let him in. With Mind Speak he tried to reassure her, “If we only opened one at a time, then let the scientist take a few tests it should be okay. We’ll make sure that each is back in its case before they opened the next. I think that will be a safe way, in fact I know it will, please trust me.”

  Helaina nodded her head in agreement. William having heard the silent conversation understood the girls’ hesitation. Whatever she had seen in that vision, it had sure scared her. William was very impressed how J.R reassured his cousin, and how well they were working together. Helaina took a deep breath before speaking, as J.R took the blue balls crystal case out of the containment chest.

  “In my dream only J.R and I can open the boxes, but only one at a time.”

  “When you open the box may we take a few scrapings to run a few tests?” asked the scientist, being respectful of their ownership of the four cases.

  Knowing his cousin’s shyness around strangers, J.R answered this question. “Of course, but please don’t scratch them or change them in any way.”

  This statement was straight out of the mind of his cousin. J.R having heard her tell him those words only seconds before.

  Helaina gave him a silent “Thank You.”

  “Do you have the test ready?” J.R asked the scientist.

  “Yes sir! I do.”

  “Ready, Helaina?”

  She answered with a soft, “Okay”.

  Helaina was considerably uncomfortable around all these strangers; William and J.R both sensed it. William saw his grand-daughter shiver slightly in fear and came up with an idea.

  “Helaina I want you to look around the room, then tell me who you see.”

  The nervous girl looked around, than answered her Granddad.

  “I see my family, I see Kellie’s dad, and Grandma’s friend Selena. And a whole lot of people in white coats looking at me, they’re making me nervous.”

  “I know Princess. Can you tell me this, are there more family and friends in this room than there are strangers?”

  Helaina counted each group of people then smiled. “There are more family and friends.”

  “Do we make you nervous?”

  “No.”

  “I want you to pretend the scientists doing the test are Sophia, Mason, and Elijah, can you do that? Then show us how you open the crystal boxes, its safe here. I promise!”

  “Okay Granddad.” She took a deep breath, looked at her mom and dad’s smiling face, saw they were there for support, than began.

  “In my dream only J.R and I can open the boxes.” Helaina faced her cousin. “First I extend my hands palms down over the box, J.R you do the same accept your palms are face up right under mine.” J.R positioned himself across from Helaina with the box between them and did as he was told. Helaina continued to instruct him on what to do, “Stay about six inches away from my hands. Look into my eyes, and feel the power coming from the box. Do you feel it?”

  J.R nodded feeling a tingling sensation throughout his body.

  “Now when I shut my eyes, you do the same. Then without looking our hands come together slowly. We then open our eyes but we keep our hands together, the box will open for us when we turn our hands over, while they are still together. Ready?”

  J.R nodded again, the room was silent and everyone stood watching. When the they opened their eyes, they instinctively looked down at the box, their hands still together. From the middle of the blue ball, a tiny light began to grow and grow until it filled the box. Using Mind Speak, Helaina told her cousin not to move, and he told her not to be afraid, he felt her hands trembling. The box became so bright that the blue ball inside couldn’t be seen. The top lifted, the sides fell gently to the table and the light disappeared back into the ball.

  “That was mega cool!” J.R said excitedly, being the first to to break the eerie silence that hung over the room.

  “That sure was!” agreed a few of the onlookers.

  One of the scientist moved closer to the blue orb that was now sitting on the bottom portion of the open case. “May I take a closer look? Please!”

  Everyone watched as the two scientists took cotton swabs and rubbed them gently on the blue ball, taking cell samples. They took the surface temperature of the ball and of the box. They looked at each piece under a magnifying glass, and under a very large microscope, where they were able to take pictures of the cells. One scientist did a light scrapping of the case, for five minutes they worked fast and efficiently. They didn’t want to take too much time with this specimen, but they did want to be meticulous and get all the information they could in such a limited time. When they were finished they stepped back from the ball.

  “How do we close it?”

  “Simple, we just reverse the process.”

  As everyone watched, the J.R and Helaina put their hands together, just as they had before. When they did this, the case began to close up its walls. When the top was replaced the crystal box turned into a bright lantern.

  “J.R, now we pull our hands apart, slowly, while we shut our eyes.”

  They shut their eyes, when they opened them again the light was gone, and the box was sealed tight.

  “Thank you for letting us examine your precious jewel, would you lik
e to know what we already discovered?” asked the scientist who seemed to be in charge of the tests.

  “You know already?” They asked in unison.

  Everyone was staring at the scientist waiting to hear the results of the test.

  “What you have in that box is a very rare, perfectly round, blue diamond. About 20,000 karats I would guess.”

  “That would make it worth about 30 million dollars,” said David,

  “No,” said the scientist. “It’s rare, and round, I would say more in the range of a hundred million dollars, maybe even priceless. I wouldn't know how they put a value on something like gems. You would need to let a geologist examine it. Let’s examine the remaining three, and see what we find, shall we?”

  After the blue diamond was placed back in its place, the other three crystal cases where opened, one at a time, examined then placed back in the containment chest. When they finished, the family was given the news. The green ball turned out to be a giant round green Emerald, the white a giant Pearl, and last of all, the gold ball turned out to be just that, a perfectly round, one hundred percent solid gold ball. From the tests, they performed they discovered each one was also equipped with an energy shield. The four jewels contained some kind of energy that radiated from within the jewels themselves. They would have to do more tests on the samples they took before they could give the Unity family a complete report.

  “I think that the jewels should stay here for safe keeping, then we can see what they do after I build the machine,” J.R broke the silence of the stunned adults.

  “That’s a very practical idea,” William agreed.

  “Granddad you said that the jewels belong to J.R and I, does that change now that they are worth so much money?”

  “Child they have monetary value, that is quite obvious, but I have a feeling that they have more value than just that. I believe they hold some sort of power that will be revealed to you later. After we discover what that is, and they’re served their purpose than you can do what you want with them.”

  “Just think Dad with those jewels we can feed all the hungry people in the world, and build houses for all the homeless people. And still have enough for Helaina and I to get a sports cars when we turn sixteen, maybe even a whole garage full.” J.R said excited at the prospect.