Max Baker: Guardian of the Ninth Sector

by Matthew Cronan

  “Awesome!” Noah exclaimed.

  “Are you serious?” Kennedy asked. “This cannot be happening.”

  “I could not be more serious, Miss Coleman,” Donovan said. “The fate of this sector is not only in Max’s hands, but all of yours collectively.”

  “What else does the prophecy say?” Max asked.

  “I’m sorry, but revealing the specifics of the prophecy to you or your team has been strictly forbidden by the Council. Knowledge of any details of the prophecy could alter decisions that you might be inclined to make in the future. It could change the entire course of future events.”

  “Well I don’t care what some prophecy says,” Kennedy said. Her cheeks were growing red. “I’m done with this.”

  “I’m sorry, Miss Coleman, but that is not how this works.”

  “I don’t care how this works, Mr. Reese,” she said hotly. “I have a family and a boyfriend. I am the head cheerleader of the Forest Valley High varsity squad. I am way too busy to be hanging out with these two washouts. I will not sit by and watch while one gets himself killed doing magic tricks and the other just takes up space.”

  “There she is,” Max said. “I knew the beast was hiding in there somewhere.”

  Kennedy marched over to Max and slapped him hard across the face. Max’s head jerked around sharply. The metallic taste of blood began to fill his mouth. Max saw that her face was a bright red and thought that he could see tears welling up in her eyes. “Have your girlfriend fix that,” she said to him and headed to the door.

  “What girlfriend?” Donovan asked as Kennedy slung open the door.

  Max spit a mouthful of crimson onto the tile floor.

  “Melotta kissed him in front of her,” Noah said.

  “I told you to stay away from that girl,” Donovan said.

  “You are not my father.”

  “No,” Donovan said angrily, “but if I were, I would tell you what an idiot you are being.”

  Max turned away from him. He didn’t need a lecture from Donovan to remind him that he had blown an opportunity with the girl of his dreams.

  “Miss Coleman, get back here,” Donovan called after her, but she had already slammed the door behind her. He chased her out into the hallway.

  “You alright?” Noah asked.

  “Just make sure she gets home safely,” Max said.

  Chapter 23

  The Long Trip Home

  Max followed the group down the hallway away from the lobby. Donovan led the way. Kennedy was only a short step behind him. Noah walked slightly behind them, and Max could only imagine the crazy things that he was thinking about. He couldn’t wait until the ‘who do you think would win in a fight – an esphynalor or a death demon’ conversations would start. Max brought up the rear as they walked in silence. The tension was palpable. As they reached the end of the hallway and stood at the door they had originally entered through, Donovan entered a different door to the right of it.

  It was a room that mirrored the one on Earth. There was the same grey concrete floor and ceiling, the same taupe colored walls and a large wooden door. A single light bulb swung slowly from the center of the ceiling.

  “You should really look into investing in some interior decorators,” Noah told Donovan.

  “I will have the Council take it into advisement.” Donovan smiled.

  Donovan then explained to Noah and Kennedy that when they exited into Earth they would be met by Mikael. He would in turn introduce them to their individual escorts, who would be watching over them for a while. Max watched Kennedy while Donovan handed out his instructions. She stared at the floor and looked as if she couldn’t care less.

  “You’ll be great, Max,” Noah said after Donovan was done giving his instructions. “Tomorrow night you can show me some of those superhero moves.”

  “Absolutely,” Max said. The two shared a brotherly embrace. Over Noah’s shoulder, Max could see Kennedy rolling her eyes. Max released Noah and walked over to her.

  “Be careful,” she said, still looking at the floor.

  “Kennedy-”

  “Let’s not do this right now,” she said, finally making eye contact with him. She looked hurt and afraid. Max felt horrible about kissing Melotta in front of her.

  “If there was a way that I could take that moment back-”

  “I said don’t,” she interrupted again. Her eyes looked glassy. Her lip quivered. “I mean what are we even talking about? I’ve got a boyfriend back home and you...”

  “What about me?” Max asked. He wanted to kiss her. Whatever it was that he had with Melotta, it couldn’t compare to the way that Kennedy made him feel. He inched closer to her.

  “You,” Kennedy said, “have to go protect the universe.” She gave him a firm embrace. “I’ll see you soon,” she whispered in his ear, giving Max goose bumps. She released her arms from around his neck, but Max didn’t let go. He held her by the waist. The two pressed close together.

  “Max I have to…” her voice trailed off. He leaned in. She closed her eyes. Just as their lips were about to collide, Melotta came bursting through the door.

  “Donovan,” she said, her voice trembling, “there has been an attack.”

  “What happened?” Donovan asked.

  Melotta didn’t answer. She looked sharply at Max holding onto Kennedy.

  “Melotta!” Donovan snapped.

  “Mikael, Jakob, the entire team,” she said, still not taking her eyes off of Max and Kennedy, “they were attacked. The Council has requested that all of you come to the chamber at once.”

  The group followed Melotta back down the hallway to the lobby and into the Council’s chamber. As they entered, the Elders were all talking amongst themselves. The room fell to a hush as the door closed behind them.

  “Donovan,” Elder Myrth’s voice boomed throughout the large room, “we have received some very discerning news from Earth. We received word that one of Emperor Ausiris’s scout teams followed you to the gateway upon your departure from Earth. They attacked minutes after your team landed here.”

  “Were there any survivors?” Donovan asked.

  “Mikael was able to escape through the gateway and is currently in the medical wing recovering. The rest of his team was not lucky enough to share the same fate. We have sent our own scout team ahead, but we will not be able to hesitate any longer. We have been informed by our agents that Ausiris is aware that the Crystals of Angroth have been stored on Earth. If Ausiris were to take possession of the crystals…” the old man’s voice trailed off.

  “Elder Myrth, may I speak to you privately in your chambers?” Donovan asked.

  “There is no time, Mr. Reese. The Council has requested you take the Guardian and his team to retrieve the crystals before Ausiris gets his hands on them. Please prepare your team.”

  “This team isn’t ready,” Donovan said. “Right now it consists of Max, who has just been made aware of his abilities, and two children. Sending them into battle at this point would be certain failure.”

  “Unfortunately, that is a risk that must be taken,” Elder Myrth said grimly. “The intel is stating that Gorthon’s army will be arriving via the Harowadur gateway within the next two Earth hours. When you reach Earth, you will need to meet with the extraction team. They will be able to provide you instructions to...”

  “This is madness!” Donovan interrupted. Max could hear the panic in his voice. “These are children, not soldiers.”

  “These children,” Elder Myrth said, “are the Ninth Sector’s only hope.”

  * * *

  Max, Noah and Kennedy followed Donovan down another long corridor away from the gateway. Donovan walked hurriedly, mumbling a long list of profanities along the way.

  As they reached the steel door at the end of the hall, Donovan keyed in a rapid succession of symbols onto the adjacent keypad. The door buzzed and unlocked.

  “What is this?” Max asked.

  The door slid open noiselessly, reveali
ng an entire room stocked full of weapons. “This is the armory.” Donovan entered into the room. Noah and Max shared a look, and then Noah mouthed the word awesome to him.

  “Unfortunately we do not have time for proper weapons training, so you are going to have to learn on the fly,” Donovan said, picking up a large rifle and handing it to Noah. “This is a DX900 Energy Ray. For multiple enemies I want you to aim, squeeze and hold. A continuous orange ray of energy will disperse from the barrel of the gun. You want to use the gun in a sweeping motion, like putting out a fire with an extinguisher.” Donovan waved his arm slowly left to right to demonstrate. “Now,” he continued, “if you need to do more serious damage, flip the switch above the trigger upwards. Again, aim and hold on for dear life. The result will be able to level a small building.”

  “Sweet,” Noah said.

  “Please shout out a warning before using the latter of the two options,” Donovan said, moving down the row of weapons to a group of even larger ones.

  “Kennedy,” he said, picking up a gun that resembled an assault rifle, “this is an Armeddia Marksman Three. It fires in three round bursts, and its ammunition is very similar to the bullets that your people use on Earth. However, the sheer force and velocity is enough to rip through a 12 inch steel reinforced door. It also comes equipped with a pyroplasma launcher,” he said. He flipped the gun over to the large attachment underneath. “When you think pyroplasma, think napalm. It’s the closest thing that you have on Earth. As it is expulsed, the plasma will be in a gelatin-like state. Upon impact the pyroplasma will stick to your target and burst into flames. It will burn until the plasma runs out, which is generally between two and three hours. Now, the beauty of the Marksman is it has absolutely no recoil on either of the rifle’s functions.” He handed the gun to Kennedy. She looked disgusted as she held the gun in her arms.

  “Really?” she asked. “Did you not hear me when I said that I was a cheerleader?”

  Donovan ignored her and grabbed a black duffel bag that was lying on the ground underneath the gun rack. He opened it and began shoving ammunition into it, pausing to identify each one.

  “This is my favorite,” he said, holding up a clear globe. A blue liquid swirled around on the inside. “This has 10 times as much power as dynamite with a very condensed blast radius. It goes off within 10 feet of you and you are fine.” He threw it carelessly into the bag, causing the group to flinch. “Five feet and not even your dental records will help identify you.” He quickly zipped up the bag once it had reached its capacity. He grabbed a rifle off the rack, threw it over his shoulder and began to head out of the door.

  “What about Max?” Kennedy asked, causing Donovan to stop in his tracks.

  “Oh my dear Kennedy,” Donovan said, “Max possesses weapons far greater than any of these. We are nothing more than backup.”

  The group made haste back to the lobby and down the long hallway, reaching the door to the gateway in a matter of minutes. Melotta waited for them inside of the room. The wooden door was already pulled open, and the black pit was waiting for them ahead.

  “We have received confirmation that Gorthon has ground troops deployed and that they will be reaching Romania within the hour,” Melotta told Donovan as he rushed past her toward the entryway. “Donovan, our sources have confirmed that Gorthon’s army is quite massive.”

  “Do they have an estimate?” Donovan asked.

  “Thousands,” Melotta replied.

  “Thousands?” Kennedy asked. “What are we supposed to do against an army of thousands?”

  “The prophecy says that the Guardian will succeed in victory,” Melotta snapped at her. “Regardless of circumstance.”

  “Yeah, well I’ll believe it when I see it,” Kennedy said.

  “I will enter first,” Donovan said. “To ensure that no one is waiting for us. However, you must be prepared to fight as soon as you hit the ground.”

  “Is this really happening?” Kennedy asked.

  “I am afraid so,” Donovan said.

  “For the honor of the Elders,” Melotta said.

  “For the honor,” Donovan replied and vanished through the gateway.

  Noah grabbed Kennedy’s hand and quickly pulled her to the edge.

  “See you on the other side,” Noah called back to Max, and then the two plunged into the darkness. Max stood looking into the abyss before him. He turned to Melotta. He could see the fear in her eyes.

  “Be safe, Max Baker,” she said to him as they embraced. She kissed him softly on the cheek.

  “Melotta…”

  “You do not have to say anything,” she said, putting a finger over his lips. “I have seen the way you look at her. There is a longing in your heart for her that you do not have for me, and I am not unwise enough to know that. Let me have this one moment though.” She moved her hand away and kissed him. Max returned the kiss, but felt guilty as it happened. She pulled away and smiled at him.

  “She will never know how lucky she is,” Melotta said softly.

  “I will see you soon,” Max told her.

  “For the honor of the Elders,” Melotta said.

  “For the honor,” Max said and then turned to the gateway. He hesitated for a moment, teetering on the fringe of the portal. Then he stepped over the edge and felt himself slip into the wormhole.

  Chapter 24

  The Arrival of the Guardian

  Max landed more gracefully than he had the last time, hitting feet first and then tucking and rolling. Noah and Kennedy were waiting for him.

  “What took you so long?” Noah asked. Kennedy looked hurt by the question, as if she was the one with the telepathic powers.

  “Where’s Donovan?” Max asked, ignoring Noah.

  “Scouting the building to make sure it’s safe,” Kennedy answered. She had taken her phone out. Max could see on its screen that she was calling home. They listened as she told her mom she was going to spend the night at her friend Amber’s house. She told her that she would be home late tomorrow evening. She told her that she loved her.

  Noah followed suit and called his family with a very similar story as Kennedy’s. He told them that he was going to hang out with Max and not to worry. He also told them that he loved them. When he was done, he offered the phone to Max.

  “I’m good,” Max said, waving off the phone.

  “Look,” Noah said, “I don’t want to sound like a Nagging Nelly here, but this could be the last chance you ever get to speak to your mom. All Hell breaks loose and you’re going to be wishing you made this phone call.”

  Max took the phone and resentfully dialed his home phone number. The phone rang once. It rang twice. After the fourth ring, the answering machine kicked on. The robotic voice on the other end of the phone instructed him to leave a message.

  “Mom, I’m staying with Noah again tonight, so don’t be worried or anything.” He started to hang up the phone when he saw Noah give him a piercing look. Max took a deep breath and finished the call with, “And I love you.”

  “Was that so hard?” Noah asked.

  “You have no idea,” he said. He turned the phone off and handed it back to Noah just as Donovan entered through the door.

  “All clear?” Max asked.

  “Yes,” Donovan said, “but we still need to be cautious until we meet up with the extraction team. Let’s move out.”

  The four of them moved silently through the building, Donovan leading the way. Donovan would enter through each room first to sweep it, and then give the all clear. Systematically, they made it to the building’s front door.

  “What’s the plan?” Max asked as the team reached the lobby of the building.

  “The plan is quite simple,” Donovan said. “We have to get to the crystals before Gorthon does and then get them back to Sidus Refugium.”

  “Oh, that is simple,” Noah said. “After we’re done we can finish our book report guys. And after that we should teach ourselves organic chemistry or quantum physics. I hear
d both of those are quite simple as well.

  “Where exactly are the crystals?” Max asked, ignoring Noah’s sarcasm.

  “Really? Not even a fist bump?” Noah said.

  “The crystals are located in a castle in Northwest Romania.”

  “Romania?” Max said in disbelief.

  “I can’t go to Romania,” Kennedy said. “I have a test on Monday morning, plus I heard Romania is gross.”

  “Oh good. You’re back to being shallow and nonsensical,” Noah said with a big smile. He extended a fist out for Max to bump.

  “Noah,” Kennedy said through her teeth, “when this is done, you and I are going to have a very brief, but painful conversation.”

  “What do you think Ausiris wants the crystals for?” Max asked.

  “As I told you the Crystals of Angroth,” Donovan began to explain, “possess the ability to create life and destroy it. They possess a very unique element within them that even the Angrothian people cannot explain. If they were to fall into the wrong hands, a weapon 10 times more powerful than a zelfanide bomb could be produced. It would be a planet killer. Ausiris could use this power to take over as supreme ruler of the Ninth Sector.”

  “So what you’re saying is he’ll use them to do bad things,” Max said.

  “Yeah man,” Noah chimed in. “You could have just said really, really bad stuff will happen and left it at that. You’re so long winded.”

  “So the crystals are just sitting in this castle for the taking?” Kennedy asked, ignoring the two boys.

  “The castle is being protected by a Sidus Special Forces unit,” Donovan said. “A group of four highly trained operatives guard the castle day and night.”

  “So why don’t we just tell them to bring the crystals back to Sidus?” Kennedy asked.