Cypher Theorem Series Box Set: Books 1-3, The Zero Class, Shadow Moon, Dragon Fire: A Science Fiction Fantasy

by Mark Brandon Powell

  “You remember I said that?”

  “I do, you also said you would offer me hospitality should I need it.”

  “I did, didn’t I. Well it’s still on the table then, you did just save me.”

  Gon stands, and stretches out. Vernon seeing how tall he really is, standing a head above him at least.

  Gon says, “No need for that at the moment. You should go, they are waiting for you, are they not?”

  “Oh crap. Yea they probably are, but I don’t even know where I am, and my HaLO isn’t working.”

  Gon points, “There is a human dome not far from here. Once you get past the trees, the entrance is there.”

  “Thanks Gon, I’m in New Atlantis. If you need me just look me up.”

  “I will, and there is one more thing, take this.” He holds out his hand, with a large crystal in it. “It was growing in your arm, and I removed it. These crystals are treasures to my kind, I hope this will be a treasure to you.”

  Vernon takes the crystal, wondering just how a crystal that size was in his arm. He doesn’t want to think about it, and puts it into one of his inner coat pockets, and heads toward the Dome.

  The sun was already high in the sky as he walked through the forest. Vernon never realized how quiet things could be. Without his HaLO active there wasn’t any augmented view telling him which way to go, no news alerts, no messages from anyone. Only silence. It was weird without it all, something he’s never experienced before. He’s left to his own thoughts. Both of the baby dragons seemed just fine, and right on his heels the whole way. Running around all over the forest, finding small critters to eat, and trying to offer some to Vernon. He thanks them, and tells them he doesn’t eat things raw. They both give him a confused look, and just go back to happy running around the forest.

  As the tree line approaches, he calls them over.

  “Alright you two, I need you to change so I can take you home. What can you change into?”

  A shimmering blur envelops them, and Vernon shakes his head in amazement as they fade back into view. He didn’t know how Marie was going to take all of this, but he was sure she was going to like their disguise. Two large cats with wings sit in front of Vernon where dragons once were. He has a smile as the thought of him and Marie wanting cats and not being able to find them run though his thoughts. Then these two just pop up.

  Vernon can feel that his mana is returning to him, and tries to put some into his HaLO. If he can just get it going he might be able to contact his squad or Marie. No response, it was like pouring mana into a cup with a hole in the bottom. As he walked into the city, through the car entrance, he was met by a local Knight.

  The Knight had been instructed to be waiting for him at the entrance to the dome. Lieutenant Rhys had called ahead, instructing that a Paladin, with a busted HaLO might walk into the dome from the woods nearby.

  “He didn’t say anything about the cats though.” The Knight said.

  “Yea I kind of saved them in the woods. Now they just won’t stop following me.”

  “You sure they’re safe?”

  “Pretty sure, they only eat flesh when their hungry, and they ate on the way here.” Vernon grins.

  The Knight gives him a worried expression.

  “That’s a joke.”

  “Oh, then that’s good to hear.”

  “Can you make a call for me?”

  “Sure, to who?”

  “My wife.”

  Vernon goes through a very short explanation with Marie, leaving out any dragon or drigh related talk with the Knight standing there. He shortened it down to meet him at the apartment. Marie wasn’t happy with it at all, even though she didn’t say anything with the Knight right next to him. He could tell he was going to be getting an ear full once he gets home, luckily he had a really good story. He just smiled and told her he loved her, and that he would see her soon.

  The Knight looks at him. “What dome you live in?”

  “New Atlantis, why?”

  “That’s good to hear, I won’t have to deal with the domestic disturbance call after you get home.”

  “That’s a joke. Right?”

  “Makes up for your earlier one.”

  Vernon grunts.

  7

  The trip back to New Atlantis wasn’t very long. He hopped on a passenger train, which was prepaid by Rhys. There was a note left for him, orders to go directly to HQ. He ignored them. Still needing to drop off the dragons at his apartment, and explain everything to Marie. Which was something he wasn’t looking forward to. He also wasn’t looking forward to explaining to the landlord if anything burnt down.

  It was a long walk up the stairs with his two large cats by his side. There wasn’t anyone else in the stairwell, like always, which was a small relief to him. Everything was running through his mind about what he was going to say to Marie. What she was going to say, or yell, at him.

  He swipes his HaLO at his door, and nothing happens. Looking down at his HaLO, he sighs, realizing that it’s broken and he can’t get in till she gets there. The dragons’ curl up next to him, and lay their heads into his lap. Time went slowly, with his mind racing. Thinking about how everything was connected to his HaLO and how inconvenient it is without it.

  The wait for Marie felt like hours but it couldn’t have been more than thirty minutes. The elevator dings, and Marie walks out. The dragons’ heads popup and turn toward her, stopping her in her tracks. Vernon lays a hand a their heads, and then waves to Marie.

  Vernon looks up with a smile, “Hey babe, how are you?”

  They walk into their apartment, the dragons’ run past their legs and start to sniff everything. Vernon goes through what he can. Telling her he was on a mission to clear out a cave of monsters. How he broke his sword, used a tusk with his light. He pulls out the tusk and shows Marie. Then goes over how he got hurt after saving the two dragons, and Dray-Gon saving his. She sits down absorbing it all, not speaking.

  “So you’re telling me,” Marie says with a pause. “The dragon we saw on our honeymoon just saved your life, and now we’re babysitting for him.”

  “That sums it up pretty well actually.”

  “These large cats are dragons?”

  She finishes the sentence and they revert back into their white scales. Marie lets out a little yelp, which makes the two jerk and rush behind Vernon.

  Vernon laughs, “Like I said, dragons.”

  “But Vernon, how are we going to care for dragons!?”

  “I don’t know, but I have to get back to HQ. My HaLO went all wonky on me, and isn’t working. I’m guessing there’s something they can do there. Can you watch them for me, I don’t want to bring them into that place?”

  “I guess I have no choice, but I’m not sure what to do.”

  “It should be fairly simple, from what Gon told me. We just have to make sure they are safe. I guess we should get some food for them, so they don’t have to fend for themselves. I mean we can’t just let them outside of the dome, since were underwater and all.”

  “They can change back right?”

  Her request prompts then to change back, still behind Vernon in the kitchen.

  “Well that isn’t disturbing at all.” She says.

  “I know, first time I saw it I felt the same way. Then I watched them do that about ten times on the walk back.”

  Marie puts her hand on her chin, looking thoughtfully at the two creatures.

  “They need names.”

  Vernon hadn’t even considered giving them names. It would be easier than calling them the dragons, and Gon shouldn’t have a problem with it. He did say to use his own judgment.

  Vernon says, “Sure, but what do you want to call them?”

  She runs though the names with Vernon she had been considering for the cats she was going to adopt. None of them really seem to fit for the two dragons. With both of them having white scales, the only thing setting them apart was their eye color. The smaller of the two had icy blue ey
es, that were watching her closely. The other had deep crimson eyes, and were they were looking around the room with wonder.

  Marie blurts out, “Ignis and Blu.”

  Vernon says surprised. “What?!”

  “The crimson red eyed dragon we can call Ignis, and the icy blue eyed one we can call Blu.

  “Those names… fit. Ignis and Blu it is.” He reaches down, kneeling, and asks. “How do you two like your names?”

  Ignis and Blu look at each other then to Vernon and smile.

  Smiling back he says, “Good, now that’s Marie. She’s my wife and if you think of me as your father, you can think of her as your mother.”

  They run to her side. She lets out another yelp, as they brush and butt against her. Reluctantly, she reaches down to pet them, and they start to purr. Marie lets out an audible and heart-melting, “Awe.”

  “Alright I have to go, but can you call a car for me. My HaLO is kind of broken.”

  “Sure, and try to stay safe for the rest of the day. We did pledge ourselves to be together till death do us part, but I would rather than be longer off than three weeks.”

  Vernon walks down to the car, and gets in. He has to put the car into manual, which took him longer than what he thought it should have. He had to locate the override display, that was found under the hood. He wonders how anything got done in the days before overlays were around, giving someone access to whatever they wanted with just a few swipes of their hands. The drive to HQ was silent. Even if he didn’t want it to be, he couldn’t turn on the music using the overlay. As he drove up, he could see that Rhys was waiting for him. Which was a relief, albeit a small one. He walks over and salutes.

  “Lieutenant, thank you for waiting for me.”

  “Ease up rook, what happened?”

  “Is it ok to talk out here?”

  Rhys looks around, and nods. “I guess you’re right, let’s go inside. How was the spit?”

  “Made my skin all numb. I couldn’t help but get hit either, damn things were faster than I thought they would be. That and it wasn’t as empty as you were hinting at.”

  Rhys’ brow went up with that, and he opens the doors allowing Vernon in. A few alarms later, and some system overriding from Rhys, they are in the rec room at one of the tables. Rhys hands Vernon a glass of water, and asks him to take it from the top.

  Vernon retells what happened in the cave. Leaving out the Dray-Gon, Ignis, and Blu part. He had to make it seem like he took out the three grix by himself. Which at least he took out one, and might have been able to take the other two, if he wasn’t already so worn out by everything else. In the middle of the story Presley walked over, and started listening. Both her and Rhys just stare at Vernon, occasionally giving each other concerned looks.

  Presley finally breaks the silence. “So, rookie. You’re trying to tell us you. All by yourself. Took out three grix, and a hoard of rollers and jumpers?”

  “Yes Lieutenant, I am.”

  “Bullshit! One grix alone would tear up half the unit, and you’re trying to tell me you killed three. You full of shit. Rhys, I’m going to check out what this little shit is talking about.”

  Rhys holds up a hand, which stops Presley, but doesn’t change the look on her face.

  “What if he’s telling the truth?”

  “I… He can’t be. If he was, he would be just as dead as he says those grix are.”

  “You’ve seen the vids, just like I have. He bested the Captain, once, and you know how strong he is. He might have actually been able to do it.”

  “I still have to go. Trust or not, I have to evaluate his performance now that he’s back.”

  “Just be careful.” Rhys looks at Vernon. “I don’t think the rook here is that stupid to make that kind of claim.”

  “Right. Understood. I’ll be in contact.” Presley salutes, and begins walking toward the garage.

  Rhys sits back in his chair, slumping a bit. “Yeesh. She can be really serious can’t she.

  “I’m not sure sir, haven’t known her long enough. I guess she had something happen with a grix before?”

  “You could say that, yea. If what you’re saying is true about that hole I sent you into, the whole squad would have gone, armed to the teeth. Grix are… resistant… or maybe resilient. Let’s just say hard to kill, how about that.”

  “You can say that again. I had to kill one of them with a tusk from one of the rollers I cut off. I had to put it into a hole I made with three rounds of the gunlet.”

  “Heh, that’s one hell of a story kid.”

  “I wish it was only that. Do you believe me?”

  Rhys stands up, “I do, for what its worth. Let’s get you cleaned up, and your HaLO back online.”

  Next to the armory was a hallway Vernon hadn’t noticed on his first visit. It was small, with a couple of office rooms on either side. One with Rhys’ name on it and the other with Presley’s. At the end of the hallway, was an infirmary. The whole place was the size of Vernon’s apartment, and was filled with the newest equipment available. The left side of the room was lined with beds, and the first they got to Rhys grabs Vernon’s arm.

  “Put your HaLO in here.” Shoving his arm into a metal ring. He then makes a few hand gestures, and Vernon can see the machine turn on. “Just leave your arm there for another minute or so. We have to reinitialize your HaLO to you. Any time one gets turned off, it doesn’t connect back with the user unless you get one of these machines to do it for you. Mostly because the person is dead, and we don’t want fake HaLO’s running around.”

  “So that’s why it didn’t react when I charged it.”

  “Correct. These machines are kept in lockdown where ever you find them, and are heavily regulated. A normal person would never even know something like this was possible, but for us, it’s a hazard of the job.”

  “Hazard is right, I didn’t know how much I needed this stupid thing. I mean I couldn’t even hail a car, or open the door to my apartment without one. I have to ask my wife to call me one.”

  “I’m going to pretend I didn’t hear that.”

  Vernon opened his eyes wide. Realizing he just spilled the beans about not coming back to HQ first.

  Rhys says, “I don’t know and I don’t care. I may be your commanding officer, but here in dragon, we look after each other. Just don’t keep anything dangerous, or pass information along to anyone that I might have to deal with later.”

  Vernon hangs his head. “Yes sir.”

  “No need to be all serious and depressed now Vernon. Do you have any injuries, or did you get stung? The venom is particularly nasty, it will crystalize your mana inside your body. If we don’t take it out, it can, and will kill you.”

  “Nope, didn’t get stung.” He lied. “I saw a lot of stingers though.”

  “Not many of us here in dragon can say that. There have only been three of us to even see a grix in person, let alone three that were in the care of a small army.”

  “So, is that all for the day for me, or is there something else?”

  “Actually, there is. The mission you went on earlier was more of an initiation, once Presley gets back with the proof there won’t be anyone who will doubt your abilities.”

  “That’s nice to hear, but what do I have to do?”

  “Tyler has a lowball assignment for you, to get your feet wet into investigations. We help out the local Knights when they need help on a case that has more umpf than they normally deal with.”

  “So I’m going to have a long night aren’t I?”

  “Get used to it rookie.”

  8

  Vernon had been disconnected from the HaLO virtual network for most of the day. There were notices, and sites he would go to everyday in a slow moment, and it was a weird feeling not having it available. Once it turned back on they all needed to be look at with new notifications waiting for him. Rhys laughed, telling him that everyone there in dragon does the same once the stupid things come back online.

&
nbsp; He told Vernon that Tyler was waiting for him at the main Knight station in New Atlantis, and would have the details of the case he was helping out with. He called Marie, and she was pleased to see that he was ok, with everything working again. She didn’t like the idea of him having to do something else today, after what he had already gone through, but there wasn’t anything she could do. Ignis and Blu’s heads pop into the overlay display, with smiles on their faces. Marie tells him they have been really well behaved, even went with her to work, which he was surprised she took them there.

  He ends the call with Marie, and calls over a car. After the ordeal earlier, this felt like a breeze. For the first time in his life, he really appreciated the technology he had just a thought away. With the precinct he was heading to on the other side of the dome, he stops to get himself something to eat, by ordering a drive-by.

  The delivery car pulls up next to his on the highway and synchronizes their speed. Vernon’s door slides open, and he grabs the food. He still felt really drained even if his mana had returned, and the burger he just ordered was like a juice bite of heaven exploding in his mouth, with ketchup, cheese, and bacon. The fries were just as he liked, soft with salt and pepper. After munching down on the meal he felt worlds better.

  The Knight station house looked like most police stations would have back on earth, or at least that what Vernon thought. He had seen pictures of them, mostly from history classes, and it looked about the same. Tyler is waiting outside of the doors, and begins to wave as Vernon exits his car.

  “So how are you holding up?” Tyler asks.

  “Alright I guess, and there’s something I should talk with you about, but not here. Somewhere private might be good.”

  “Is it important?”

  “Kind of, but I guess it can wait.”

  “Then just hold on to it for now. The case I’m going to have you working on is a pretty high profile one right now, but should be a easy bust. Have you ever heard of X’cel?”

  “Nope, what’s that.”

  “Always the good son huh?”