Of Minds and Masters

by Paul Ormond

  “Rise, my dear Robert,” Commander Holrathu said with authority.

  “Greetings, Commander. It is always a pleasure to speak with you,” Robert said.

  “I’m hearing that you’re having some difficulty. Is this anything we should be concerned about?” the commander said.

  “Not at all, sir. We've had a couple of hiccups, but as you well know these kinds of things are to be expected. Everything is on schedule and under control. The portal opening tomorrow will go off without any problems I assure you of that,” Robert said with confidence.

  “The Emperor is counting on you to fulfill his wishes. Opening the portal on schedule and delivering the gift of our most sought after fugitive will grant you considerable favor with his Royal Highness, should you succeed. However, you are aware of the consequences of failure. The Emperor does not take kindly to those who displease him. It is in your best interest to do more than assure me that everything will go well. From my perspective your position doesn’t bode well. It appears that you have encountered a minor insurrection. The individuals in question must be apprehended and dealt with accordingly. This is no laughing matter. Even the most trivial insubordination must be dealt with severely or there is no telling where it will end,” Commander Holrathu said.

  “Understood, sir. I will not let you down. The prisoner transfer will go ahead as scheduled and our little problem will be dealt with accordingly,” Robert said.

  “Very well. I’ve provided you with a new upgrade for your device. General Sinisur used this development to squash a rebellion on a system in a different age and we have continued to use it whenever we encounter resistance. May the ‘Fists of Sinisur’, grant you the strength to crush all who would stand in the way of the Emperor’s will,” Commander Holrathu said with bravado.

  “I gratefully accept the Emperor’s gift and I am forever indebted to his Royal highness. I will not let you down,” Robert said as he bowed low before the commander.

  “We have put our faith in you, Robert. Do not disappoint the Emperor. Contact us as soon as you are ready to open the portal,” Commander Holrathu said to Robert and then ended the call. Robert looked up and smiled as he realized he was alone once again.

  “Thank you very much Commander,” Robert said. “‘The Fists of Sinisur’, I like the sound of that. I think I’m gonna have some fun crushing this little insubordination.”

  CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT

  “Do you think you can turn your thing off?” Mitch asked SoHee as they neared the exit to the cave. “They can track us and that thing is pretty bright. We don’t want any undue attention.”

  “I can easily contain it,” she said and she made a few gestures with her hand. The orb fluttered for a moment and then began to shutter in on itself. As it got smaller it formed a ring and SoHee placed it around her neck. It was as unobtrusive as a piece of jewelry.

  “Not bad. That thing’s pretty smart. What are you gonna call it? Have you thought of a name?” Mitch asked.

  “I didn’t think about naming it. I haven’t really had time,” she said.

  “Yeah, it’s been a little busy,” Mitch said with a chuckle.

  The cave opened up at the base of a hill shrouded in pine trees. They stepped out of the cave into the night air and assessed their surroundings.

  “We need to head this way,” Mitch said and they began to make their way through the forest. It was a clear summer night and the moon was almost full making it easy to find their way through the darkness.

  “If your map is correct then I think I know exactly where we are. And if I’m right the guys who are gonna help us out should be hanging out nearby. It’s Friday night in Kingsford and there’s only one place to go,” Mitch said as he stepped carefully through the underbrush.

  “Is there a night club nearby? It seems like we’re in the middle of the forest, but I can hear music,” SoHee asked.

  “Well, it’s the Kingsford equivalent of a night club,” Mitch said with a grin. “Did you ever in your life think that you would be doing something like this?”

  “Stalking the woods at night or taking on a massive corporation and their inter-dimensional overlords?” SoHee asked with a straight face.

  “Ha, very true. Drak told me something before he left. The generator runs on what he called ‘dark energy.’ In order to stop it we needed to send a surge of ‘positive energy’ to its core. If we do that we might cause a massive explosion that could destroy everything. I don’t really understand it myself, but he said that there is some kind of special material inside the generator that allows it to produce the wormhole. He said that the reason they came to Kingsford was to tap into what he called an active energy field created by this substance that exists below us. There is enough energy here to power the generator, but once it is opened it is incredibly fragile and any interference will cause it to collapse. If we can send a surge at the right moment we’ll be able to destroy the generator,” Mitch said.

  “Your friend may have been on to something, but I think your interpretation may be a little off. As the theory goes, wormholes require some kind of exotic material to power them. This is only a theory. No scientist has ever found a wormhole in space nor do we know what exactly the exotic material would be. The Masters may be using some type of matter we don’t know about to power their generator. We could create a positive energy bomb using my “thingy,” but there are two problems with this plan. One: How do we plant the bomb? Two: What do we do when it explodes?” SoHee asked.

  “Well, it’s a good thing you are along for the ride, Miss Science,” Mitch said. “If we know where to deliver the payload, I can sneak in and drop it as long as there is enough time to get out. This might sound a little crazy, but is it possible for you to do your little wormhole trick again and throw the generator inside? A wormhole for a wormhole,” Mitch wondered.

  “It’s possible, but I’ve only ever done that once and I don’t even know how I did it. Even if I could, there’s no telling where it will end up,” SoHee said. “It almost seems suicidal.”

  “Perhaps, but at this point I’m not sure if we have much choice. It’s get blown up or be enslaved forever,” Mitch said. “The one thing I do know about all of this inReal stuff is this: you’ve gotta believe. If you believe that you can do it, then it becomes possible. If you believe that you can create the wormhole and you believe that you can send the generator to where it can’t hurt anybody, then you can. Didn’t you say that you have seen images of what may come? What did those visions say about this?”

  “From what I remember, there was a tremendous battle and a lot of destruction, but it’s a little vague,” SoHee said.

  “Well, do we win or are we sucked into an event horizon?” Mitch asked.

  “Look at you with your scientific terms. I only saw what I understood to be possibilities. In some situations we survive. In others we don’t,” she replied.

  “Well, maybe we can ask your ‘thing’ when we get another chance. We’re almost there,” Mitch said as he pushed ahead through the underbrush.

  Up ahead SoHee could see a clearing. Firelight lit up the trees around it as sparks rose into the night sky. Voices could be heard and music filled the air. As they approached the edge of the clearing, SoHee could see that they stood over large gravel pit and a crowd of kids were gathered around a fire.

  “Welcome to the Kingsford pits. It’s what passes for a night club around here,” Mitch said with a laugh. Mitch made his way down the steep bank and looked up to see SoHee standing there, motionless.

  “Come on, it’s ok, they won’t bite, well not much anyway,” Mitch said as he held out his hand to help her down. They scrambled down the steep bank and caused enough of a commotion that all of the kids around the fire took notice. As Mitch walked up to the crowd of kids, a deathly silence hung over the gravel pit.

  “What are you doing here, Mythic?” came a familiar voice. The crowd parted to reveal Sage Rhinus standing beside Candace Mcallister. For a moment, the
only sound that could be heard was the fire crackling in the warm summer night.

  “Everybody, the great and amazing Mitch Mythic has decided to grace us with his presence and it looks he’s brought a friend,” Sage said with a sneer. “To what do we owe the honor?”

  “I didn’t come here to fight, Sage,” Mitch said. “We need your help. We need all of your help.”

  “Oh, you need our help, do you?” Sage snapped back. “We all saw you on TV, Mister Superstar. Nice suit by the way.”

  “I never wanted any of this,” Mitch said. “The last few months of my life have been a living hell and the people I needed to have my back became my enemies. I wouldn’t wish what has happened to me on any of you. You guys all laughed about #epiccrotchshot boy, but I lived it and a lot more. That's not even the half of it. Because of that video, I’ve been dragged into something that’s bigger than all of us, bigger than anything you could even imagine.”

  “Yeah celebrity is real drag isn’t it?” Sage said. “This is the wrong place to come and complain about how hard it is being famous.”

  “That’s not what I’m here for,” Mitch said so that all could hear. “Something terrible is about to happen. We’re all in danger, but together we can stop it.”

  “Oh, this is gonna be rich. Let’s all go help Mitch Mythic save the world. What is it, Mitch? Are aliens coming to get us,” Sage taunted.

  “It’s more than that and we’re all in danger,” Mitch snapped back. “I didn’t expect you to believe me, but I’ve got proof. I can't show you here, but if you come with me, I’ll show you all something that will blow your minds.”

  “No one’s going anywhere with you, Mitch,” Sage said for all to hear. “Isn’t that right, everybody?”

  “Who says we have to listen to you Sage?” a voice piped up from the back and Gareth “Double-Cheese,” Lishinski stepped out into the light of the fire. “I wanna know what the hell Mitch is talking about. By the way, Mitch that was an awesome goal you scored in that game.”

  “Who’s gonna listen to you, Double Cheese?” Sage shot back.

  “Shut up, Sage. Nobody made you Captain. I’m with Mitch too,” Darren Francis said as he pushed past Sage.

  “Who else wants to join these losers and run off with Mitch Mythic? What a joke,” Sage spat out.

  “This is no joke,” Mitch said. “I wouldn’t come to you guys and ask for your help unless I was deadly serious. We’re all in danger and I can prove it. They are hunting for me and SoHee right now. You might’ve heard about her. She’s the girl that was in the accident that everybody is talking about. That was no accident and they made her a prisoner. MindHIve didn’t come to Kingsford to have a convention. It’s all just for show. They came here for an entirely different reason. You will not believe me if I tell you, but if you come with me, I can prove it to you. If you still don't believe me after I show you what I know, you can go back to believing whatever you want about me, but I doubt that will be the case once you see what’s really going on.”

  “This sounds like some ridiculous conspiracy theory,” Sage said. “You guys are all idiots if you go with him.”

  “I wanna see what this is all about. I heard some crazy rumors on the internet,” Greg Curtis said as he stepped forward.

  “Greg, if you go I’ll never invite you to swim in my pool again,” Sage said. “You say that they are looking for you. I think it’s time that I phoned this in.” He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone.

  “Sage, I don’t think you’re getting it,” Mitch shot back. “This isn’t about you and me. You need to get over everything that has happened. I know I have.”

  More kids rushed over to join with Mitch and soon the only people that hadn’t joined were Sage and Candace.

  “You do whatever you want, Sage, but I’m not gonna let the past drag me down,” Mitch said as he looked Sage square in the eye. “Come on everybody. There’s not much time. Follow me.”

  Mitch turned and led the group of kids back from the way in which he and SoHee had come. The scrambled up the edge of the pit and filed into the forest leaving Sage and Candace alone by the fire.

  With Mitch in the lead they made their way through the trees and after a few minutes of bushwhacking they were back at the mouth of the cave. “We’ve gotta go in here, but trust me it’ll be all right. Everybody follow SoHee she’s got a light. Once we’re inside she’ll lead the way.” Mitch said as he looked around at his friends and team mates. He looked back and he could clearly see two figures illuminated in the moonlight approaching slowly from the distance. SoHee moved into the cave and after a few moments a light could be seen from within.

  “Follow that light,” Mitch said and he stepped aside to let everybody into the cave as SoHee lead the way. Mitch looked over his shoulder as he entered the cave. He could see that the moonlit figures had edged closer to the entrance.

  After a few more minutes of stumbling over rocks the group of kids entered into the large cavern where Mitch and SoHee had suddenly appeared a short time before. SoHee had walked at the front of the group and she had used her “thing” to light the way, but she hadn't actually unfolded it. To everybody it just looked like a flashlight of some kind.

  SoHee held it in her hand as Mitch stepped to her side and gathered everybody around him.

  “Okay, so what I’m about to show you may seem insane, trust me, that’s how I felt when I first heard all of this, but it will all make sense if you just hear me out,” Mitch said as everybody drew near. “SoHee, go ahead and show them what you’ve got.”

  SoHee nodded and held out the necklace in her hand. Slowly the orb began to unpack itself from its self-imposed containment and everybody’s jaws dropped as the green light rose up in front of them.

  “You’ve all heard about inReal and its capabilities, but this is nothing like anything anybody has ever seen before. I’m not going to try and explain the science. I’m not that smart and we don’t have time, but what I am going to do is try and show you everything that I have learned in the last little while as quickly as possible. Now while you might not believe what I’ve got to say, a picture is worth a thousand words,” Mitch said as he looked out at everybody. “SoHee, let’s start at the beginning.”

  The orb began to flash images of the events that had led up to that moment and Mitch tried his best to explain what he had seen. He told them about Drak and how he had taught Mitch how to use the inReal. He also told them what Drak had said about his home world. How the Masters had come and made everyone a slave. The orb flashed images to support what Mitch said. He told them about what happened to Drak and then he explained what had happened at the convention. How SoHee’s bacteria had been altered using inReal and how Robert Chapman had gotten Mitch to join the inReal game. He told them about how SoHee’s bacteria had mutated and how SoHee had been captured. He told them about what had happened during the game and the battle that had raged during the black out. Finally he told them what MindHIve was actually up to and what that meant to them and to everyone and everything on planet earth.

  The kids were quiet for a moment and then a voice spoke up in the back. “Do you really think we can stop these guys, Mitch?” Sage Rhinus said while stepping into the light.

  “Yes, I do. With your help and everybody here, I think we can stop them,” Mitch said with a smile.

  “Well, then there’s only one thing that I want to know,” Sage said and everybody looked around nervously. “When are you gonna shut up and show us how to fly these things?”

  For a moment the cavern was silent and then everybody cheered and got to their feet.

  “Everybody calm down. If we’re gonna do this we’ve got a lot of work to do and we don't have much time,” Mitch said. “MindHIve is going to open up that portal anytime now and we need to act fast. Does everybody have a MindHIve phone on them?” Mitch asked and they all nodded their heads. “Okay, I need everyone to line up single file in front of me. SoHee get your thing ready. You really
need to give it a name. We’re gonna have an inReal crash course right here in this cavern.”

  The cave was lit up with flashes of light as everybody had their phone altered by the orb. After it was all finished they all gathered around Mitch and he began to explain to them how to activate their devices. After a few hectic moments and near crashes everybody was hovering off of the ground. Mitch then began to demonstrate motion and direction and there was more chaos and crashes, but with a few helpful pointers from Mitch they were all able to quickly get the hang of it. The cavern was filled with whoops of laughter and joy as everybody become more confident with their new abilities.

  “Motion is one thing, but weapons are a whole different level,” Mitch explained. He demonstrated how to create a shield and how to shoot. He then showed them all how to create different weapons. “The most important thing is that you’ve gotta believe. You’ve gotta believe that you can do it. Once you believe in yourself you can do anything. Now who wants to be the first volunteer for combat,” Mitch said as he looked around.

  “I do,” Gareth said as he manifested a sword.

  “All right, Double-cheese. Let’s do this,” Mitch said with a grin.

  CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE

  “You’re sure this is going to work?” Robert said. “We cannot afford any mistakes. We’ve only got one shot at this.”

  “According to the specs that you provided, everything is in place and ready. We have been able to drill deep enough into the core to draw the appropriate amount of energy required for the procedure. Unless some unforeseen circumstances arise, the process should go according to plan,” Gerald Tobero said as he and Robert stood in the vast cavern beneath the MindHIve complex observing engineers attending to the pulsing beam of energy that shot upwards into the generator situated in the main dome.