Max Baker: Guardian of the Ninth Sector

by Matthew Cronan

  “Changes what?” Max asked.

  “There is so much to tell you and so little time,” Donovan said, pulling the car back onto the interstate. “We will have to wait until we reach the Council.”

  “You said that you would answer all of our questions,” Max said.

  “And I intend on keeping that promise, but I need you to see the Elders first. We have to confirm that you are who we think you are.”

  “The Guardian?” Max asked.

  Donovan didn’t answer this question, instead he exited off of the freeway. There was an awkward silence that filled the car as Donovan navigated the city streets, making one turn and then another. As Donovan took another turn, Atlanta came into view over the horizon.

  Donovan stopped the car in front of a tall, abandoned building. They were still a couple of miles from downtown, but the scenery here was far different than the suburban streets of Forest Valley. Max could see Kennedy push down the door lock, a worried expression on her face. Donovan put the car in park and pulled a cellphone from his coat. He began typing on the small keyboard of the phone.

  “Why do I have the sinking suspicion that this Sidus Refugium place is really code for a creepy old building where you plan to murder and rape us?” Noah asked sarcastically. Donovan ignored him, still typing.

  “As much as it pains me,” Kennedy said, “I have to agree with Noah on this one. Mr. Reese, can you just take us back home please?” The only answer was the sound of Donovan’s fingers tapping the screen of the phone.

  “Max,” Donovan said, “there is a high probability that you are the Guardian of the Ninth Sector. If the Council deems you so, then the entirety of the sector will put its faith into you to protect us from Ausiris, Gorthon and whatever else might threaten the safety or security of the citizens.” Donovan exited the vehicle and headed for the entrance way to the building.

  “Wait, what?” Max asked.

  Max, Noah and Kennedy exited the car and followed Donovan to the entrance way. The street was empty, but Max felt as if they were being watched from afar. The surrounding buildings also looked either abandoned or extremely run down. Most of them were covered in graffiti. The only signs of life were coming from the liquor store across the street.

  “You can’t just say something like that and walk away,” Max said, calling after Donovan.

  Donovan knocked three times on the decrepit steel door that seemed to be loosely hanging from its hinges. It echoed with each rap of his knuckles. The door slowly opened by itself, and Donovan entered into it.

  Kennedy looked at Max and silently shook her head. “I’m not going in there,” Kennedy said, still shaking her head.

  “We have to,” Max said.

  “You might have to,” Kennedy said, “but I don’t have to do anything.” She examined her cell phone, and Max could see that she had no signal. “Of course,” she sighed.

  “Look,” Max said, trying to comfort her, “if it gets weird, we’ll all leave together.”

  “If it gets weird?” Kennedy asked rhetorically. “We’re way past if, Max.”

  “Weirder then,” Max said, and he motioned for her to enter.

  “If you want,” Noah said, “you can stand out here and wait for us to get back.” He gave a quick wink and entered into the building.

  Kennedy looked into the dark building and then to the car. Across the street, two large men walked out of the liquor store, carrying their booze in brown paper sacks. One of them nodded in their direction. She sighed deeply, “Fine.”

  The two followed Noah into the building.

  Chapter 13

  The Gateway

  Inside, the lobby of the building reflected the exterior. The white marble floor was dull and cracked. Large chunks of paint peeled away from the walls and hung brittle and cracked. A large mahogany reception desk sat covered in dust and cobwebs. A set of green upholstered chairs sat in the center of the lobby. The whole place smelled musty and dank.

  “Ugh. This place is gross,” Kennedy said, pushing her way past Max and Noah toward the center of the lobby. Max could feel the marble cracking under the weight of each step.

  Donovan was accompanied by two large men that looked as if they had shot up way too many steroids. They stood quietly talking near the reception desk. Max thought they both looked like G.I. Joe characters. They were dressed in matching uniforms – black tank tops under army-green military jackets, green and black camouflage pants and black combat boots.

  “This is Jakob and Mikael,” Donovan said, introducing the two ogres as the group approached them. “They are the gatekeepers.”

  They both wore patches on their right shoulders. On each patch was the same creature that had been wrapped around the handle of Donovan’s dagger. The two giants stared at the three of them; their faces were cold and undemonstrative.

  Mikael was the taller of the two. He had jet black hair that was slicked back like some sort of Italian mob boss. He sported a week’s worth of dark stubble and wore a deep scar under his right eye. Max noticed that the rifle slung over his shoulder was different than any he had ever seen before. It looked similar to an assault rifle with the exception of silver tubes that ran alongside the body of the gun.

  Jakob was a couple inches shorter than Mikael, but what he lacked in height he made up with sheer volume. If HGH or steroids ever needed a poster boy, Jakob was their man. His hair was blonde and cut short in the traditional military ‘high and tight’ style. His blue eyes looked up and down the trio, and the sneer that he wore let Max know he was not impressed. A gun was holstered on his right hip; it too looked alien.

  “This is the one?” Mikael asked to Donovan. His accent was thick like Donovan’s.

  “I believe so,” Donovan responded.

  “That is impossible,” Jakob grunted. “This is a scrawny, little boy. He will be easily broken at the hands of Ausiris.”

  “Listen, Drago,” Noah said, stepping in between the brute and Max.

  “My name is not Drago,” Jakob quickly corrected him.

  “Drago, Dolph, whatever,” Noah said. “My boy here is the Guardian. He’s not some silly, little gatekeeper. So why don’t you drop the tough guy act and show my boy some respect.”

  Jakob’s jaw fell open. Max was partly embarrassed, but mostly worried that Jakob would shoot them both where they stood. The awkward silence was broken by Mikael bursting into laughter; it echoed throughout the room. Jakob looked angrily at Mikael and then back to Noah. He reached down to his hip for the odd looking weapon that rested in the oversized holster.

  “Jakob,” Mikael said, still laughing, “do not be so sensitive.”

  Jakob’s face had filled with blood. A large vein pulsated from the center of the brute’s forehead. He glared at Noah with cold eyes. Without saying a word, he spun around and stomped out of the room.

  “Excuse my friend,” Mikael said. “He is not used to being talked to like that.” Mikael threw his arm around Max’s shoulder and squeezed him tightly; Max could barely breathe. “This is a most excellent time for the Ninth Sector. You will rid us of Ausiris. Please, follow me my friends.”

  Mikael led them to a bank of elevators sitting a few feet past the desk. They looked as if they hadn’t been used in years. Cobwebs covered the frames of the steel doors, and they sat covered in rust. Mikael hit the down call button. The elevator dinged, and the large metal doors slowly squeaked open.

  “Please tell me there is a stair option,” Kennedy said.

  “Do not worry, little girl,” Donovan said, nudging her toward the door. “I promise that this is very safe. Plus it is a long way down to the bottom. Many, many steps.”

  “Ew. Please don’t touch me, greaseball,” Kennedy said in disgust.

  “Where did you find these kids, Donovan?” Mikael laughed. “They are very funny.”

  The group piled into the elevator and Mikael hit the button marked ‘B’. A small panel below the button slid open to reveal an illuminated keypad. The buttons
were labeled with strange symbols that looked like hieroglyphics. Mikael hit a succession of the keys, and the doors clattered shut.

  The elevator slowly descended for a solid minute before pausing unexpectedly. Mikael, who stood closest to the door, turned around and addressed the group.

  “Hold on,” he said and smiled.

  “What does that mea-” Kennedy began to ask, but she was interrupted by the elevator suddenly freefalling downwards. Max, Noah and Kennedy screamed simultaneously. Just as Max felt his feet begin to lift off the ground, the elevator jerked to a stop.

  “Is it over?” Kennedy screamed. Her words were muffled by her hands covering her face.

  The elevator dinged again, and the doors slowly creaked open. Kennedy pushed past Mikael and ran out of the door. Max looked over to Noah, who had turned a pale shade of green.

  “You okay?” Max asked.

  “Yeah,” Noah managed to get out, his hand clinched over his mouth.

  “Please do not throw up in the elevator,” Mikael told him, turning back to the doors. “The smell will never come out.”

  They exited into the large empty room ahead. The room was nothing more than four concrete walls; they were the same taupe color that the classrooms in Forest Valley High were painted. A dull gray concrete ceiling rested just a couple of feet above them, and it matched the floor below them. A single light hung from the center of the room, illuminating the tomb.

  On the wall ahead of them was a large wooden door. An iron ring, which was bolted into the wood, hung where the doorknob should have been. A thick frayed rope had been wrapped around the ring and hung limply. In the center of the door was a creature. It was the same one that rested on top of Donovan’s dagger, and the one that was woven into Jakob and Mikael’s patches, only this one had been carved elaborately into the wood.

  “What is that?” Max asked, as he approached the door. He ran his fingers over the carving.

  “It’s an esphynalor,” Donovan said. “They are native to the lizard planet of Taezrak-Ild, and they are a symbol of great strength and hope. It is similar to what humans know as dragons. But these are real and breathe a sort of plasma, rather than fire.”

  “That is awesome,” Noah said.

  “Trust me, you will not be thinking that when one of those winged devils are flying after you,” Mikael said. He lifted up his shirt to reveal a huge scar that ran from his lower abdomen, up his torso and wrapped around his rib cage.

  “They can be slightly temperamental under hostile circumstances,” Donovan said.

  Mikael put his shirt down and then headed to the door. He took the rope that was wrapped loosely around the handle and began to pull. The door came slightly ajar from the frame, but it was clear that Mikael was struggling to open it. With every second that passed, the man’s face grew redder. Veins began to pop up from underneath his collar and emerged around the temples of his forehead.

  The door was halfway open when Mikael began jerking the rope violently. He shifted all of his weight and leaned back as far as he could. It took a full minute of Mikael pulling on the rope, but he finally managed to get the door completely opened. Once the brute stopped pulling, he doubled over and began to wheeze and cough. A black, empty nothingness lay behind the open door.

  “You are getting old, my friend,” Donovan said, and he placed his hand on Mikael’s shoulder.

  “Normally Jakob is here to help,” Mikael said between short labored breaths, “but he is off pouting somewhere.”

  “Is he pouting because your society has been around for hundreds of thousands of years and you can’t afford to get a door that opens electronically?” Noah asked.

  Mikael looked perplexed for a moment. As the idea sunk in, he looked angrily at Donovan.

  “I will bring it to the Council’s attention,” Donovan said quietly.

  “Did you hear that, Max?” Noah asked with a chuckle. “I’m smarter than a planet of futuristic alien people.”

  Donovan took a tiny glass tube out from one of his coat pockets; a bright green liquid swirled around the cylinder. It had been capped by a small cork.

  “How much stuff do you have in there?” Max asked.

  Donovan handed the vial to Mikael who smiled, quickly uncorked it and threw back the contents like he was taking a shot of whiskey. He bounced up to his feet and handed the empty vial back to Donovan.

  “Thank you, my friend,” Mikael said as his face turned from red to its normal olive hue.

  “Is everyone ready?” Donovan asked, turning toward the group.

  “Ready for what?” Kennedy asked.

  “For a leap of faith,” Donovan answered. He headed to the doorway and as he got closer he became less recognizable; his dark clothing meshed with the black, empty space that was lying behind the door.

  “I don’t understand,” Max said.

  “Just close your eyes and leap,” Donovan said. “It’s quite simple.”

  “Leap where?” Kennedy asked.

  Donovan had reached the door frame and turned to face them. Only his face and hands remained visible. The rest of him became camouflaged with the background. He put both of his hands on either side of the door frame and leaned back into the void.

  “Down the rabbit hole,” Donovan said as he released his grip. He was gone. The group turned to look at Mikael, who stood there and smiled. They looked nervously at each other.

  “It’s weirder,” Kennedy said. “Max, it has gotten weirder, and I am ready to leave now. We should leave now.”

  “I’m sorry,” Max said. “I have to go.”

  “No,” Kennedy said, grabbing his hand, “you actually don’t have to do anything you don’t want to do.”

  Max looked into her icy blue eyes. The girl that he had known so many years ago was the same girl that stood in front of him now. He pulled his hand away from hers.

  “I do want to,” Max said.

  “Don’t worry,” Mikael said. “The trip is relatively painless.”

  “Relatively?” Kennedy asked.

  “Relative to an esphynalor trying to eat you for breakfast,” Mikael chuckled. “Guardian, are you ready?”

  Max began walking slowly to the doorway. Kennedy quickly grabbed his arm and spun him around.

  “You’ve got to be kidding me,” she pleaded. “This is crazy.”

  “You heard Donovan. It’s a leap of faith,” Max said and turned back to the door.

  Max slowly approached the doorway, prepared for something to rush out of the darkness and attack them. He made his way to the frame of the door and peered down into the black abyss below. Deep down there was a faint orange light that flickered softly. It looked as if it were miles away. Max took a huge breath and moved his toes over the edge. A cold breeze rushed toward him from below; it sent shivers up his spine. Max turned to see Kennedy and Noah staring nervously back at him. He shrugged his shoulders and turned back to the pit.

  “What do you see?” he heard Noah yell from behind him.

  “There’s an orange light way down below,” Max said over his shoulder.

  Max grabbed a hold of each side of the door frame, the same way Donovan had. He leaned forward to see if he could make out anything else. Max was very aware of his legs shaking below him. Fear ran rampant through Max’s body, and he could hear his heart thumping loudly in his ears. He couldn’t do this. What had he been thinking?

  Max turned once again toward the group, but instead of seeing Noah and Kennedy looking back at him, Mikael stood towering over him.

  “Don’t hold your breath,” Mikael said and gently pushed on Max’s chest. He felt himself lose his grip on the door. He teetered for a moment on the edge, trying to right himself. He grabbed furiously for the frame, but couldn’t make contact. He willed himself to regain his balance, but he had no such luck. Max disappeared into the abyss.

  Chapter 14

  Sidus Refugium

  Max rocketed through the darkness, picking up speed the further he fell. He had manage
d to open his eyes for a split second, and the orange light that had been so far away had grown closer and filled his vision. In that brief second, he felt as if he were falling to heaven. Max’s eyes slammed shut almost instantly; he was moving at such a rapid pace that his eyes burned the longer he kept them open.

  Max felt like he had been falling forever. He wasn’t exactly sure what his expectations should be of space travel, but he felt like Donovan should have warned about the length of time it would take…and also offered a restroom break.

  Suddenly he stopped falling. He kept his eyes shut for a moment, terrified of what he would see if he opened them. He could feel himself hovering in midair, surrounded by silence. When he mustered enough courage to finally open his eyes, he immediately recognized that he was in outer space and began to panic. Instinctually, he grabbed his throat, expecting to suffocate due to lack of oxygen. He floated there holding his breath, afraid that at any moment his head would decompress and explode like in all the sci-fi movies he had seen.

  But nothing happened.

  Max couldn’t hold his breath any longer. He exhaled followed by a deep inhale. Oxygen filled his lungs.

  This can’t be real, Max thought as he floated there. He could see for miles and miles; stars and galaxies filled his vision. Planets and stars were painted with vibrant colors, and Max felt like his senses were on overload. Far off in the distance, Max could see a supernova occur; an explosion of blue light was surrounded by celestial orange clouds.

  He floated there weightlessly, watching the fireworks light years away. He knew that there was no logical reasoning that could explain this. He would never be able to provide a rational justification for jumping through a doorway in the basement of some abandoned building, and then ending up in outer space. Add on the fact that he was able to breathe normally in an oxygen free environment, and he realized that he was in the midst of a physics teacher’s worst nightmare. He could imagine trying to explain this scenario to Dr. Shirley, the head of the Physics Department, and wondered how long it would take him to call the men in white coats. He pinched himself and nothing happened. He pinched himself again…this time much harder.