There’s also a big screen television with a comfortable reclining chair in front of it. Votary walks over to this chair and slumps down on it.
Votary puts his hands to his head, and his body shakes a little. Votary cries inside his armor. A body steps in front of Votary. A gray sleeve rests on Votary’s shoulder.
Votary looks up to the smiling face of Abel.
“What’s the problem, my child?” Abel asks.
Votary doesn’t respond for a few moments.
“Don’t hold it in,” Abel urges.
Votary looks up at Abel. “I failed. I failed them today. Many people died. I had to let people die in order to save others. It’s my fault.”
Abel rubs Votary’s shoulder. “No, be calm now, calm. It isn’t your fault. You were a hero out there tonight. You did what I needed you to do.”
“I lost my Bravo Bot. The military was present, and their tank rounds ripped through him.”
Abel nods knowingly. He presents a powerful aura. “I know. I know. That was bound to happen sooner or later. We’ve discussed this eventuality.”
“Yes, but I thought it would be from the other threat. Not the military.”
“Humans are very adaptable. You should know this better than even I do.”
Votary doesn’t comment.
“Regardless,” Abel continues, “you had allies out there. The reporter, the one who claimed to know you, spoke very highly of you. I think she finally got the public to accept you as the hero that we know you are.”
“I don’t want to endanger them. I can’t get close.”
“But, you’re already close to them. You have many friends. They may not know you, but they will help you.”
“Should I go to them? Is that wise?”
“Perhaps in your current form. Take that interview opportunity or talk to the mayor. I’ll think about this. Perhaps it’s time to start letting the people see behind the curtain.”
“Is that wise?”
“It is if it’s the version of the curtain we’re prepared to let them see. They’re not ready to handle all of it. They’ll ignore us. This has to happen gradually.”
“So, do you see it going as planned?”
Abel closes his eyes, then opens them. “Yes, more are coming. The other threat is getting closer, too. It won’t be long, perhaps a year or two, and we’ll have to deal with them. At that time, you’ll need to have confidants you can trust.”
“I think I know a few. Assuming they survived the night.”
Abel shushes Votary. “Enough of that. You’ve earned a vacation. Take it. It’s good for you to be out of sight for some time.”
Votary takes in a deep breath that hisses as he expels it. He then reaches up and takes off his helmet. Abel stands in front of Votary’s face. His hand reaches up and touches Votary’s uncovered cheek.
“I’m proud of you, my Votary,” Abel says. “I’m proud of you.”
The two remain in silence while various machines in the massive complex build more robots, many that spar in numerous training rooms of varying intents.
The End
For any beta readers out there, please enjoy a quick look at a scene from book two, Trophy Hunters, in the pages that follow.
The stars twinkle on a Colberton December night. The various buildings are vibrantly decorated with Christmas lights. On top of one such building sit Seal Pup and Votary.
“Ready?” Votary asks.
Seal Pup looks over the side of the building.
“Activate your cloaking device first. Don’t think they won’t see that blue armor just because it’s night,” Votary says.
Seal Pup quickly makes the adjustment. He mostly vanishes from sight. He once again peers over the edge.
Below them are street hooligans walking through the parking lot of a retail store. They stare longingly into the windows of the vehicles parked at the Yama Outlet Shops.
Seal Pup looks back at Votary. “Is this shit really worth our time?”
Votary cloaks himself as well. “Yes, this one is all you. Those thugs are a part of The Enterprise. That gets them a one-way ticket to the hospital.”
“How badly should I beat them?” Seal Pup asks. “You seem inconsistent with who dies and who bleeds.”
“I don’t care if you kill them or not. I just want to know that you can take them out. This is just training. The Other Threat is the real concern. We have to be ready for it.”
“What’s the Other Threat?”
“I honestly don’t know. I believe it’s the Malignant Empire, but Father can be cryptic, even with me.”
Seal Pup nods. “Good to know that the hazing happens at all levels.”
With that Seal Pup jumps over the side of the building and rapidly descends on the parking lot with his golden trident in hand. He stabs the prongs into a nearby lamppost and slides down it as he de-cloaks. The screech of tearing metal alerts the four hoods to his presence.
“Shit, it’s Seal Pup!” the first hood screams.
Seal Pup sends a blast of water shaped like a fist into his face. The man gurgles and falls over with a bloodied nose. The other three try to scatter in opposite directions. They soon face a wall of water surrounding them and the two closest cars. It’s a protective barrier as effective as Votary’s purple domes. The men try to keep Seal Pup away from them, but it doesn’t really matter.
“Leave us alone, Puppy. We’ve got friends,” the largest thug says.
Seal Pup ignores the pathetic attempt to intimidate him. He stabs his trident into the ground and lifts both of his hands in challenge. The terrified men pull pistols and shoot at him, but the bullets bounce off Seal Pup and lodge themselves in a nearby red sedan. The protective shields covering Seal Pup’s palms open. They reveal his skin. He forms two globes of water over each palm.
“Ah shit! Not this now. It was bad enough before,” a thug cries.
Seal Pup ignores them and sends an orb of water at each man. The orb’s splash into their faces, but the balls keep their form and surround their heads. The men claw at their faces as they attempt to peel their personal drowning pools from their noses. Their hands easily pass through the water that seems cemented to their heads. One by one all four pass out. Their insulated heads harmlessly bounce off the vehicles, but once their bodies rest on the ground, the water evaporates. All four men are unconscious, but they aren’t dead.
Votary, still cloaked, lands next to Seal Pup. Through their internal radio, he speaks to him.
“I thought you were going to drown them.”
“I’m not going to murder a bunch of kids for being stupid at Christmas.”
“Are you suggesting I would?”
“I don’t know you well enough to suggest that. You’ve made sure of that.”
“Whatever. Good job. I like the unique approach. It was very efficient and silent, except for the overly dramatic entrance.”
“Just go away. Tonight, this is my city.”
“Have fun then, Seal Pup. I’ll see you at six o’clock tomorrow night. If you do well with this. I’ll let you know how to get to The Lair on your own.”
Votary flies away after this.
“Dick,” Seal Pup mutters.
Coming Soon
Bystanders II: Trophy Hunters
Bystanders III: Sleepers and Scouts
Bystanders IV: Our Contest
A Note from the Author
Thank you for reading my novel. It’s the first of four in the Bystanders saga. I have been a fan of comic books and science fiction all my life. I often found myself annoyed that the stories never addressed the fact that buildings were always empty when a monster was thrown through one, or nobody ever moved away from the cities that had numerous battles. During my third deployment, I decided to start writing my own story.
I quickly decided that it would need multiple books that addressed a growing scale of violence. I determined that four books were the right number. I’m committed to getting all four books out
as soon as possible. They’re already written and just need some final editing. I firmly believe that you can’t write an epic story if you don’t already know the end. I chose to complete the full story before allowing any to be published.
Bystanders Page 31
