The Adventures of Tremain & Christopher
The Wrath of the Revenant
Terry Marchion
The Wrath of the Revenant
Copyright © 2017 by Terry Marchion.
All rights reserved. Printed in the United States of America. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.
This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, businesses, organizations, places, events and incidents either are the product of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, events, or locales is entirely coincidental.
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Book design by Terry Marchion
Cover design by Danielle Romero Annett (coffeeandcharacters.com)
Cover background photo by Doris Conley (Dodosphotos.com)
ISBN: 978-1974578856
First Edition: August 2017
Second Edition : August 2018
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CONTENTS
CONTENTS
CHAPTER ONE
CHAPTER TWO
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER FOUR
CHAPTER FIVE
CHAPTER SIX
CHAPTER SEVEN
CHAPTER EIGHT
CHAPTER NINE
CHAPTER TEN
CHAPTER ELEVEN
CHAPTER TWELVE
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
EPILOGUE
About the Author
Dear Reader
Also by Terry Marchion
Acknowledgements
CHAPTER ONE
"Christopher!"
He barely heard his name over the chatter of the other students grabbing their books and slamming their lockers as they left school for the day. Christopher was dressed like most of the other students at New Earth Progressive High School, wearing a loose-fitting tee shirt and jeans. His hair was cut on the long side, but was kept neat.
He grabbed the last textbook from the shelf in his locker and shoved it in his backpack before looking up. He almost dropped the whole thing as his heart leapt into his throat.
Celeste.
She was one of the prettiest, most popular girls in the entire school. She played soccer, basketball and was a cheerleader to boot. He'd had a crush on her since the sixth grade. What in the twin moons did she want with him? Heart hammering, he felt sure his mouth was hanging open or something. She walked towards him, her jeans perfect, her shoes perfect, her hair bobbed in that perfect way. Her shirt, which read: 10% Glitter, 90% AWESOME, was the perfect color for her. She smiled as she came up to him, her perfect teeth gleaming white in the school's lighting. He gulped hard, thinking he should say something profound.
"Hey." DOPE! Who says that? Not hi, or hello, or how's it going, but hey? Lords, if she didn't think he was an idiot, she did now.
Celeste came up to the locker and leaned back on the one adjacent to his.
"I saw you tried out for the basketball team again." She said as she hugged her books. Uh oh. It's going to be one of those afternoons. He felt his face get hot as he blushed.
"Yeah. I'm not very good, am I?" was all he could say, zipping up his backpack.
She giggled, her smile showing more of her perfect teeth.
"No, sorry to say, you're not." She put her hand on his arm. "You're better at other things, though."
That brought a smile to Christopher's face.
"Not in sports. I suck." They laughed together. Celeste held up a hand, ticking items off her fingers.
"You're great at math. I totally suck at it. You're great in chemistry. I've broken too many beakers to count. I could use some help." She looked up at him, expectantly. Christopher realized she was asking him for help. Him!
"S-sure, I'd be happy to help you." He threw his backpack over his shoulder. "But I have to help my uncle out at the lab." He glanced away, then back at her. "D-do you want to walk with me? Maybe I can cut out early?"
Celeste smiled and nodded yes. Christopher's chest seemed to expand as they walked towards the exits. He was walking to the lab with Celeste! Holy crap!
"Can I ask why you keep trying out for the team?" She asked as they left the school. "You've never made it. . ." She had been paying attention to him? Christopher cleared his throat as he thought about it.
"It's my dad. I hardly remember him, but mom says he was pretty good at sports." He stopped as they reached the intersection. "I guess it's my way of trying to be like him."
"Oh . . . that's sweet."
Christopher glanced at her, not sure if she was serious or mocking him.
"Well, I don't think I'll ever make the team, so . . ."
"I think you're okay just as you are." She said, not looking at him. His heart beat faster yet. She was complimenting him?
"T-thanks."
They walked in silence for a bit, before she whirled to face him.
"Have you thought about who you're going to ask to the dance this weekend?"
Her question caught him by surprise. Normally he never went to the dances as the thought of standing against the wall the entire evening didn't appeal to him. When he did ask a girl to dance, he was turned down. They all wanted to dance with the jocks, not with him.
"I'm not sure I'm going to go." He answered, not looking at her.
"Oh." She sounded disappointed. "I thought maybe you might want to ask me." That stopped him dead in his tracks. His eyes flew wide open. Now he was certain his mouth was hanging open. He'd never entertained the thought as he was sure she'd say no, just like all the other girls he'd asked.
"W-what? You want me to ask you?" He said, incredulous. "I thought you'd rather go with . . ."
"The jocks?" She finished for him, smirking. "Like they can hold a conversation." She mimicked being a muscular boy, her shoulders hugged up to her ears, her arms held out at an odd angle, as if she had tons of muscle. "Ya, did you see me hit the game-winning home run? Did you watch that game last night? Did you see me block that goal?" She dropped her arms and waved it all off. "That's it. That's all they talk about. The game last night, the game this weekend, how well they played . . . " she blew out her breath in frustration, while Christopher laughed nervously. He knew exactly what she meant.
"That bad, huh?" he asked. She glanced sideways at him.
"You have no idea." She wrapped her arm around his, making him stiffen and blush once again. Celeste didn't seem to notice. "I, for once, want to spend time with someone who thinks and can talk about something other than sports." She paused. "Like you."
Christopher swallowed hard. He had no idea what to say, so he stared straight ahead. They were coming up to Centennial Park, and had to walk all the way to the opposite side of the park to reach. He needn't have worried as it seemed Celeste was content to carry the conversation all on her own.
"Oh! I read your paper in English class. The one about the expedition with Professor Perlmutter. Did it all actually happen? Weren't you scared?"
Christopher looked over at this girl who before now hadn't given him the time of day, let alone talk his ear off.
"Yeah, just like in my English report. You bet I was scared, but I knew my uncle would do something brilliant. If not, well, it would have been a quick end."
Celeste stopped, her eyes wide.
"HOW COULD YOU SAY THAT?!" she yelled.
Christopher held his backpack straps, stunned as she poin
ted a finger in his face.
"You could have died! Then what would have happened?"
Christopher thought about it as they continued into the park. The familiar gravel crunching sound comforted him as they walked. Was she really worried about his adventures with his uncle?
"Well?" She asked him again.
"Well what?" He asked as they reached the hedge bordering the lab campus. He pushed on through the gap between two bushes, pulling her with him.
"You could have died!" She repeated.
"Yeah, but a lot of other people could have died instead. Don't get me wrong, dying would have sucked, but I didn't and . . ." they had reached the entrance to the lab. His hand on the handle, he turned to her to finish his thought. "Instead the professor found a treasure trove of stuff." He pulled open the door and entered the lobby. "He's promised a huge exhibition once he's cataloged everything."
They pushed their way through the throng of people in the lobby of the Hawking building, making their way to Tremain's lab. The place is getting busier, Christopher thought, deftly avoiding a cart full of archive boxes, as he and Celeste finally made their way to the receptionist desk. Maggie was on desk duty today. She was a flurry of activity herself, one hand holding a phone to her ear, the other drumming a beat on the laminate with a pen when she wasn't using it to take notes. She gave a wink and nod to him as he passed, handing Celeste a visitor's badge as he did so. Being a regular has its perks, he grinned.
Coming upon the lab, Christopher and Celeste watched the usual chaos through the glass door before entering. There was something smoking way in the back, causing one of the new interns to jump and grab something liquid-filled. The tech on call quickly pulled the vessel out of the intern's hand (it was probably something flammable) and doused the flame with a quick toss of a pellet, which upon hitting the combustion, made a whumpf sound, resolving the issue. Desmond, his uncle's longest serving assistant, shook his head, the nozzle of a hose in his hand. He turned to see Christopher and Celeste enter the lab.
"You sure you wanna be here today, Chris?" He asked, his eyes full of humor as he acknowledged Celeste with a smile.
Christopher laughed and set his backpack down.
"It's better than doing homework. What happened back there?"
"These are the smartest minds in the colony. Smarter than smart. But they still can't work a damned microwave." Desmond shook his head, then pointed to the door. "If you're looking for your uncle, you'd better go upstairs to the atrium. He said something about a tea date."
Christopher stopped in his tracks and Desmond laughed at the stunned look on his face.
"A tea date? My uncle had a date?"
"Yup. She was a looker too. Go on now, you and your friend can make it a double date."
Christopher blushed to the top of his ears as he and Celeste walked back to the lobby to the sound of Desmond's chuckles. They re-entered the throng of people, making their way to take the elevators up to the third floor.
They stepped off the elevator into the decidedly more serene environment of the atrium. Tables were scattered around, most were filled, but none of the occupants were his uncle. Soft music played in the background. Christopher glanced around one more time, then pulled Celeste to the stairs which led to the upper floor of the atrium.
The top floor, more of a terrace, was built around the interior perimeter of the building. Through the opening in the center rose a huge column of various plants, both green and flowering, which grew from the floor below. The air was thick with the scents of food, pollen and perfumes (some of which came from actual flowers). He spotted his uncle about three tables to his left.
Dressed in his customary lab coat, which was smudged and dirty as usual, Tremain waved his hands as he talked, the frayed cuffs of his coat flapping as he did so. His companion had her back to them, but Christopher could see she had beautiful dark hair, which burst from her scalp in ringlet curls in all directions. It bobbed as she moved her head in response to something his uncle had said. Tremain noticed Christopher and Celeste and waved them over.
"Allow me to introduce my nephew, Christopher." Tremain waved as Christopher reached the table. "And this is . . ."
"This is my friend, Celeste," Christopher answered. His uncle's companion turned to face him, making Christopher's heart skip again.
She was without a doubt the most beautiful woman Christopher had ever seen. Her complexion was flawless and the color of rich chocolate, but it was her eyes that were the most striking aspect of her appearance. Piercing ice blue and sparkling in the overhead light, they held a hint of humor as she took in the teenagers. Christopher wondered if the extra spark in her eyes was a permanent fixture, or if it was due to his uncle.
Tremain and Celeste cleared their throats at the same time.
"Well, are you going to say something, Christopher, or stare all day?" He laughed and turned to his tea-mate. "I do apologize, Alice, he's usually better mannered." He took a sip of his tea. Celeste slapped Christopher's arm.
Christopher, regained his composure and sat down next to his uncle, while Celeste took a seat next to Alice.
"Desmond said you'd be up here." He mumbled as he took his seat.
Alice gave a low chuckle.
"I wish all young men had the same reaction to me." She winked at Christopher, who blushed a deep scarlet. Her accent was exotic, but Christopher couldn't tell where she could be from. There weren't too many variations, but the further north or south you traveled, there were some deepening differences. He and his uncle had had a conversation about that very subject just a few days ago. He cleared his throat.
"So, how did the two of you meet?" He looked at his uncle, who had just taken another sip from his cup.
"Well, we sort of . . . bumped into each other." He laughed and gestured to Alice. "Yes, that was it, wasn't it? I was going for a walk, trying to work through a particularly irritating problem in the lab, when . . ."
"I pretty much walked into him." Alice finished. She cradled her tea cup in her long fingers as she smiled at Christopher. Even her smile was dazzling. "I wasn't paying much attention to where I was going." She looked down at her tea, then up at Tremain. "I think we both ended up on our bottoms."
Tremain laughed, nodding.
"Yes, I believe we did." He turned to his nephew. "I helped her back up, and invited her for a cup of tea to apologize for my clumsiness." He shook his head. "It’s become something of a regular thing now."
Christopher looked from one to the other. He couldn't believe it. His uncle seemed smitten. Write that one down. He couldn't help but grin at them both.
"That's great. I'm sorry to have imposed." He made to get up, but Alice held out one hand to stop him.
"No, please, don't leave. I should be going myself." She reached into her pocket and pulled out a card. She set it on the table between herself and Tremain. "My calling card. Our next cup is on me." She stood and pushed her chair in. "I look forward to seeing you both again." She nodded goodbye to Celeste before turning from the table. Both Christopher and his uncle stared at her as she walked away. Christopher recovered first, at a sharp throat clearing from Celeste and slapped his uncle on the arm, who barely noticed.
"And when were you going to tell me about her?" His grin widened.
Tremain huffed.
"Since when do I tell you everything?" He made quite a show of being put out, then stopped and smiled himself. "You've not introduced me to your charming friend either. Alice is something though, isn't she? And she's quite intelligent. We've had all sorts of conversations. So fun to find someone you can actually talk with," He glanced at Christopher. "present company excluded, of course."
Christopher shook his head and laughed.
"It's okay, Uncle. I think it's good for you, and yes, I did introduce you to Celeste when we sat down. But your attention wasn't on us, now was it?" He waggled his fingers back and forth in front of himself. "Uncle Tremain has a girlfriend" He sing-songed, making his uncle
blush. Celeste giggled.
"I don't know if I'd go quite that far."
Tremain stood, swooping up the card Alice had placed in front of him.
"Let's get back to the lab, shall we? I wonder if Desmond has burned the place down yet. Besides, I'm sure you'd like to give your friend," he emphasized the word, "a tour of the place." He started, then paused, staring at the card, flipping it back and forth.
"What's up?" Christopher asked, coming back to the table.
Tremain wore a perplexed frown on his face.
"Well, it's the calling card, or whatever this really is." He handed it to Christopher. "I can't make heads nor tails of it."
Christopher examined the card in detail, then showed it to Celeste, who was equally perplexed.
The front, or at least what seemed like the front of the card, had a series of symbols on a graduated blue background. Nothing made any sense to Christopher. Flipping the card over, he saw a plain white background with a series of numbers printed in a row. Christopher looked up at his uncle.
"What do these mean?" He asked.
Tremain shrugged and shook his head, taking the card back from his nephew.
"I haven't the foggiest." He placed the card in his lab coat pocket. "I'm sure it'll clear itself up, eventually."
The lab had not burned down, Christopher was happy to see, but it was a mess. The overhead fans were working overtime to clear up some smoke from the earlier mishap, while Desmond was facing the smart wall addressing a uniformed man with a crew cut -- apparently there had been a call.
"Oh, here Tremain comes now." Desmond said as the three of them entered.
The man on the wall wore a severe expression, which softened once he recognized Tremain. Christopher slunk back to his uncle's desk, pulling Celeste with him. They could still hear the conversation, but Christopher much preferred to remain out of the picture.
"Ah, Colonel Griffiths, nice to see you. Is the new satellite working well?" The Colonel frowned deeper and spoke, his voice gruff and commanding.
"Tremain. That's what I'm calling you about. We took our first pictures with it, calibrating the optics, you know, and we have an anomaly. I was hoping you could come and take a look and help us figure out if it's a problem with the satellite or what."
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