The Gauntlet of Possession (The Teracian Chronicles Book 1)

by Christopher Lambert

  With a smooth transition, the egg-shaped transporters started to levitate as if they were floating on thin air. Anya gripped ahold of her seat and held her breath. They were high enough in the air to see the end of the mountain range. The machinery below was slowly putting the ship back together piece by piece. A voice came over the intercom.

  “It was nice meeting you all and good luck. Welcome to year 3087 on the planet Teracia.”

  **********

  An hour had passed by as the three transporters gravitated through the sky like a fighter jet. Anya opened her eyes and peered out over the glass in front of her. The diverse mint colored ocean came into full view as well as the entire landscape. A large mainland continent took up most of the area below with numerous small islands dotting the coast. A few mountain ranges, dense blue forests, and sprawling grasslands. It was like nothing she had ever seen and for a little while all of her worries floated away. With her hand inside of her purple hoodie, she leaned against the glass and admired the view. She didn’t notice how fast they were moving but could tell they had made progress since takeoff.

  The phone on her wrist turned on and signaled a low battery alert. Before it turned off, she tapped the screen and brought up the Internet to see if she had a connection. The web page attempted to load but soon displayed an error message. She checked her messages and saw an unread text. The screen shuttered slightly, causing her to quickly press it. With her left hand, she brought up the app and extended the screen.

  Unknown: Where are you? Are you alright?

  Her heart started to pound in her chest as she read the message over the and over in her head. This was sent 3 hours ago! She hesitated for a second before beginning to type back.

  Anya: Who is this? Please tell me this is you Will?

  Sweat poured off of her face, and she wiped her hand across her forehead. She waited and waited, breathing heavily as her battery life signaled 1%. Someone began to type on the other end.

  Unknown: Anya, it’s me, Will. I don’t have much time to tell you this, but whatever happens to me just know that I love you. Something is keeping me alive, but I can’t…

  **Battery Empty. Shutting Down**

  “No! William. Damn phone!” she said out loud as she burst out in excitement, “He’s alive…he’s actually alive.”

  Anya broke the silence as she quickly pressed the intercom button on the roof of the aircraft, “Hello? Can you guys hear me?”

  “Loud and clear. I was wondering if that button worked. I was too afraid to try it,” said Brenda.

  “William just texted me. He’s alive,” she said with a squeal.

  Trevor’s voice cracked over the speaker, “He what? I thought we couldn’t get a signal here? Holy shit he’s alive.”

  “I had given up hope that we would ever see him again. How did he survive that drop?” said Brenda.

  Anya repositioned her back and pressed the button again, “He said that something is keeping him alive. Maybe it’s some kind of alien technology?”

  Her voice echoed across the transporter with a mixture of excitement and concern. A smile appeared on her face that hadn’t been there since they arrived, and for the first time in two days, she felt whole again.

  “We have to tell someone that he’s still okay. Someone at the station can help us find him.”

  “We will, love, but for now we need to get some more sleep. Only an hour has passed. Sweet dreams,” Brenda said.

  Anya found herself slipping in and out of sleep every so often. The green planet below her grew smaller and smaller as they got closer to the station. Her dreams were clouded with the voices of her friends. The voices she thought she heard spun in and out of her mind like a spastic top. But one was different. A soothing voice of a woman; a pure form of energy.

  Suddenly an abrupt halt shook her awake, causing her to grip the glass in front of her. In a daze, she turned around and saw that all three of the egg-shaped pods were locked into a large object.

  “Do you guys see this?” said Trevor.

  “That is the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. Anya, can you see this too?”

  Anya rubbed her eyes and steadied herself, feeling suddenly dizzy. She put her hands against the glass and peered down. It was like the pictures she had seen of Earth from the International Space Station. The green planet below was in full view like an emerald raindrop circling through space. Scattered clouds covered the surface for miles.

  The intercom above her suddenly came to life with a soft voice, “Hello and welcome to the Septune Station. My name is Dr. Janice Geier, and I’ll be meeting with you momentarily. When the door opens, please step into the hallway and the scanner will analyze your vitals and sanitize any bacteria. See you soon!”

  Anya stared at the back of the pod as a panel on the wall began to glow. With a flash, the glass dissolved, leaving a doorway for her to walk through. She advanced into the hallway and took a deep breath. The air around her smelled pure and clean. As she reached the center of the hall, the glass door behind her closed and locked. The floor lit up, and a beam traveled up and down her body for several seconds before disappearing back into the floor. Anya felt her hands start to shake as her anxiety grew. She walked slowly to the other door and watched as it opened automatically, revealing a crowd watching her as she exited.

  There was a diverse group of people in the expansive room all dressed in lab uniforms with various colors on the collars. All around them were flashing screens and holographic displays. Each side of the rectangular room had doors leading to other parts of the station, and the ceiling above her mimicked the color of the blue sky. A tall woman appeared, walking down the stairs in front of them, wearing a cream-colored coat. Her light brown hair was tied in a bun. She seemed to walk with an awkward stride almost as if she were nervous to see them.

  “It-it’s very nice to meet you all. I’m Dr. Geier, the engineer who brought you all here yesterday. I’m glad to see you’re all safe,” she paused and took a deep breath. “After what occurred at the Amethyst Temple. We’re aware of the situation and have countermeasures to keep everyone here safe. Harvey, can you take over from here?”

  Dr. Geier stepped aside, and a handsome man with broad shoulders and a bald head took her place. His uniform was black with red stripes just below his arms and an insignia of a crooked “S” shined on his chest. His dark skin was only visible above his neck. Anya started to feel intimidated as the man stood straight and with a deep voice spoke to everyone in the command center.

  “For those of you who are new to this station, my name is Septune Commander Harvey Gilbert. You can address me as Harvey or Commander Gilbert, whichever you prefer; I have no preferences. We are here to welcome the results of our first ever successful “Time Stream Extraction.” These individuals are from the year 2025 on Earth. An Earth where the Quantum War didn’t take place, and a world where the Delta Virus didn’t kill most of the population. This must be strange and upsetting for you three, but I assure you that we are all very much human.”

  The room became silent as Harvey approached the young college students. His stern face became a smile as he stopped just in front of Anya.

  “It’s an honor to meet you all, and I’m sorry for any inconveniences you must have suffered yesterday morning. I didn’t get your names?”

  He held out his hand as each of them replied, shaking with a firm, but fair grip.

  “Trevor Harrison.”

  “Brenda Harrison.”

  “A-Anya Rose.”

  Anya saw Trevor take a deep breath and lock eyes with the commander. “I have been patient with everything up until now, but I would like you to tell us what’s going on. Why are my friends and I here, and what happened to William Dante?”

  “Wouldn’t you rather all rest and regain your strength?”

  “Not until we have answers,” Trevor said as each of them nodded in agreement. “You really think we can sleep after all this has happened?”

  “You bri
ng up a valid point. I would be happy to answer your questions,” Gilbert said as he walked to a nearby table, picking up a thin tablet. He flipped a switch on the side, and a large holographic image appeared before them. He spoke to them as he walked over to a massive monitor stationed on the wall, placing the device on a flat glass surface just below the screen, “You are all on the planet Teracia. This is a diverse world with luscious landscapes and abundant resources. You’re here as a test of our previously failed Time Stream Extractor and because we need your assistance. I understand as you are college students that you will understand the situation and the information I am about to give you?”

  “Steven, please generate a model of the planet with data regarding the population and planetary details,” said Dr. Geier.

  The young programmer rushed to the station at the center of the lab and started typing. “Bringing up the planetary hologram and related data.”

  Commander Harvey raised his voice, snapping everyone’s attention to him. “The rest of you, resume your duties.”

  Anya watched as all of the men and women able to work filled in the various stations in the wide-open room. Everyone had a place with their own computers, busy generating technical data and programs. She turned around to see the commander hold out his palm and attach a small watch-like object. A set of virtual buttons and screens expanded from his hand, “What you see on the screen is the data we’ve gathered regarding the planet and what it looks like. Please take a moment to study it.

  Planet: Teracia

  Inhabitants: Teracians (tribal name)

  Population: 550,000 (est.)

  Planet Size: 1516 miles in diameter

  Satellites: Orbiting moon and space debris

  General: Diverse range of hostile and docile wildlife. Relatively peaceful inhabitants who engage in community relations with one another. Standard environment comparable to Earth. 24-hour rotation cycle. Earth-like gravity with no additional atmospheric elements detrimental to humans. 93 million miles from a G V Sun. Full revolution in 220 days.

  Important Note: Actavian Calendar Cycle is based on 4 quarters, each with 55 days, totaling 220 days with no leap year. Each week is made up of 5 days. Standard AM and PM structure apply.

  No system anomalies detected.

  Current Date: 02/47/3087 4:30 PM

  Generated by Krysanthe. Septune Station A.I.

  Ver: 5.3.5676

  The commander straightened his uniform. “Are there any questions?”

  “This is just crazy to believe that we’re on another planet. It seems so similar to Earth. Are there other planets like this with humans?” said Brenda.

  “I’m afraid not. This is the only known planet that we inhabit.”

  Anya pushed back her hair and curled it around her ear, letting it fall. “I appreciate you helping us, but why are we here? You said you need our help?”

  “Yes, that is correct. Our leader, Actavian, will explain it tomorrow during his briefing speech. For now, all I can tell you is that you’re here for a very important reason and that this world could be in grave danger.”

  “Does it have to do with what happened in that temple?” said Anya.

  “That’s correct. We’ve been alerted that an entity has been released, after a previous attempt to steal what was contained beneath the temple. One of your friends was involved, and a search has commenced for his location.”

  He’s still in the temple, isn’t he? That’s where we all were when it started collapsing.”

  They locked eyes, and Commander Harvey took some time before he responded. “We are not aware at this time of his condition or location. The Teracians from Windenfall Village aren’t letting us approach the temple.”

  Brenda put her arm on Anya’s shoulder. “Hey, listen. Everything will be alright, okay? They’ll find him in no time.”

  “She’s right. Our reconnaissance forces are trained for this type of scenario. I’ll alert all of you as to the status of your friend when I can. If no further questioning is necessary, I suggest you all rest. We have supplied each of you with rooms in the Saturn sector of the station that comes equipped with food and beverage and a hot shower. Dr. Geier and I will meet with you in the morning.”

  “I can show you all to your rooms if you want to follow me,” said Janice Geier.

  Trevor took a moment to shake the commander’s hand. “Thanks for the introduction.”

  “It was my pleasure,” he said with a smile.

  Dr. Geier led Anya and the twins around the central section of the command center, weaving around hard-working scientists and personnel. They arrived at a small terminal near the western door. The doctor waved her card, opening up the door. Stretching on for what appeared to be miles was a white hallway with lights trailing on both the floor and ceiling. They eventually arrived at an enclosed room with what seemed like a tunnel or passageway leading out of the area. On the floor of the tunnel were train-like tracks with confined electrical pulses streaming continuously.

  “What’s this room for?” said Anya.

  “This is one of the many rooms that-that connects each of the primary spheres. I’m sorry, Harvey didn’t explain the station layout very well, did he? This station is where the majority of our population is concentrated in. You could think of it as a miniaturized Earth in the form of an orbiting space station. Each area is separated with what we call “modular planetary structures” or MPS for short. Each MPS orbits horizontally and vertically around the central “Sun” and are modeled after the electrons of an atom and named after the planets in the Milky Way Galaxy. The entire structure is surrounded by a protective dome; hence it can be seen as an atom enclosed in a cell. Each of these rooms connects particular MPS’s together.”

  “But how can they be connected together when they are orbiting around a central point?” said Trevor as he rubbed the small beard on his chin.

  “That is a great question. The movement from each MPS helps fuel the ship as the kinetic energy transfers to the central core. To remain efficient, each module only does 5 orbits around the central “sun” each month. Since it’s this slow, we can form a temporary connection at any given time with these shuttle stations. Any faster and we couldn’t connect.”

  “How long did it take to build this station?” said Brenda.

  “Approximately 400 years if I remember right.”

  The doctor approached the wall, and a panel opened up, exposing a computer. She scanned the key card around her neck, causing the floor below to open. An electrical current generated power, lifting a platform with a small enclosed transport; it immediately rose from the opening. She walked towards it and motioned for them to enter.

  “Oooh it’s a trolley!” said Brenda as she hopped into one of the seats.

  “Well, it’s similar to one. Where did you guys grow up at on Earth?” said Dr. Geier.

  “My brother and I are from London, but all of us live in Indianapolis.”

  “Interesting. That is where Actavian said he was from too.”

  “Who’s this Actavian we’ve heard so much about?” said Anya.

  “Actavian is our leader and the previous Global Leader of Earth before the incident occurred.”

  Anya scrunched her eyebrows, “What incident?”

  “A deadly virus was released by a rebel group that destroyed most of the planet’s population.”

  “Are you serious? That’s horrible,” said Trevor

  “Yea, it truly was, but that was a long time ago. No one on Earth is alive anymore.”

  Dr. Geier closed the door shut, and the command module in the center lit up. Anya and Brenda were facing opposite of the doctor and Trevor. A selection screen appeared with 2 options:

  Modular Planetary Structure Origin:

  Jupiter: Central Command Center

  Modular Planetary Structure Destination:

  Mars: Restricted. Authorized Personnel Only

  Saturn: Population Center and Housing

  “Alright. We’re h
eading to Saturn so you guys can get some rest. Right now, it’s 4 P.M. We’ll meet again for Actavian’s speech tomorrow at 2 P.M, which gives you 22 hours to recuperate.”

  “Do you know how our friend Allen Schraider is doing? He should be at a medical facility near a village.”

  Dr. Geier tilted her head to the right as to think for a moment, “He is recovering from his infection to his shoulder right now at a human stronghold, Treynador. You should be able to see him soon.”

  A sigh of relief left Anya’s mouth as the shuttle started to move.

  “You guys ready? We’ll be there in no time.”

  With only a press of a button, the shuttle launched and sped down the tunnel. The electricity below it shrieked as the current carried it to the Saturn Module. Only then could Anya and her friend rest knowing that everyone was at least still alive. A thought loomed in the back of her mind of William. She flipped her arm over and remembered that her S-Wrist phone was dead. Sharp pains suddenly ripped through her chest, causing her to grab ahold of her right breast.

  “Anya are you alright?” said Brenda.

  “Yea, I’m fine. Just a small pain in my chest.”

  She held her chest for a few more seconds, and the pain subsided. Oh, my God! No, I forgot, she thought as she grabbed her wallet out of her front pocket. She pulled out a piece of paper and held her breath. Written on it was an appointment date and time:

  Francisco Health Cancer Center

  10/12/25 at 1 P.M.

  Dr. Valerie Hall

  Eight

  The Feeling of Despair

  “Krysanthe, run a diagnostic survey procedure for the 7.1.2 Phantom Core Cybernetic Exoskeleton based on prior performance data,” said the gentleman as he watched the A.I.’s body materialize from the port on the wall. He ran his hands through his thinning hair until he touched the tube along his back. A single pump of liquids gurgled behind him as the purple fluid flowed into his body. With a deep breath, he steadied his hands and placed them back on his lap. The discomfort was a small price to pay when it kept his body from withering away.