Reading?!

So, I am slowly but surely re-establishing my old writing habits. It's an ongoing process - learning once again how to silence my doubts and internal editor, trying to maintain momentum by writing every day, focusing on one big story and seeing it through all the way to the end and, most importantly, actually concentrating on writing instead of getting sidetracked by the internet..

All these things take time. Right now, I've started small. I'm writing for ten minutes here, ten minutes there - the plan being to gradually increase the time I spend writing as I continue to build up my focus for projects. It seems to be working so far. I managed nearly twenty minutes today (not counting the time I spent writing this blog - and some time I will probably spend afterwards on the project). One step at a time, I say. It's rather like exercise. You have to do it consistently and, over time, you'll gradually get faster - stronger or, in my case, able to actually concentrate instead of run off to the Internet after ten seconds.

But that's not what I wanted to ramble about today. I wanted to talk about...reading. You see, when I was a teenager I read constantly. All the time. Whatever looked interesting - primarily fantasy and science fiction. I was drawn to book jackets and interesting covers, drawn to new stories, new frontiers, new ideas, characters and settings to process.

And then I sort of...stopped and I suspect that my lack of reading has at least something to do with the decline in my writing habits. Oh, sure, I still read. But it was always old favorites, very rarely anything new. Well, I arbitrarily decided a couple of days ago to charge up my tablet, buy an e-book and sit down and read it. I then followed that up with a couple of graphic novels (also purchased digitally, by the way.). I felt that, afterwards, the writing I did was of better quality than usual: the words came easier and the quality was a lot better - something I was actually fairly happy with.

But what's more? I enjoyed the stuff I was reading. Sure, it wasn't deep masterpieces or anything. But it doesn't need to be. I just have to like it. It just has to appeal to me. So I'm going to start reading again - consistently. It could be old stuff I've read before - but I mostly want to expand my horizons with new books. Fantasy, sci-fi and perhaps a smattering of non-fiction. No quotas on genre or anything like that.

Whatever appeals to me.

I will, of course, have to rely a lot on my local library and Overdrive (the e-book library app for those uninitiated) because books cost money which, unfortunately, I don't have a lot of. I will likely allow myself a purchase or two every payday. And ebooks, unfortunately. I'm generally okay with e-books but I much prefer physical copies. And with the local bookstore in my area going under...

Sad day.

But anyway! That's no way to end this blog entry. Things are looking up. I'm getting back into the swing of things, the new novel is shaping up well and I am enjoying my life.

Till next time!

The Beginning

 I wrote this today. Trying to ease myself back into writing on a regular basis. Enjoy the mindscrew! =D (It's the opening part of Chapter 1.)

Daniel Stevenson stood alone, surrounded by thick coils of undulating fog that swirled around him like a vast white serpent. He could, at least, see - a sourceless white light illuminated his surroundings, such as they were. Occasionally, the coils of mist parted and he saw beyond. And then wished that he hadn’t. For beyond the white misty tendrils spanned an infinite void. It wasn’t merely empty space, he thought, but Emptiness itself - a blank pale gray stretching on and on to forever. There was no land or sky, no up or down nor left or right.

It felt simultaneously an infinitesimal distance away and, at the same time, so close that he might as well have had his nose squashed up against it. But then, thankfully, the mist covered it and he didn’t have to look at it anymore. He didn’t want to see anymore.

But he was still here, stranded in…wherever this was. He had a dim recollection that he should know - but that memory was getting fainter. Noises drifted to his ears. He had felt certain that he was alone but - now, he wasn’t sure. The sharp sound of a slamming door. Wild raucous laughter mingled with the sound of a flute. An angry conversation in an alien tongue - one he somehow recognized as speech, despite sounding like a three way blend between revving lawnmowers, whistling teapots and guttural dinosaur snarls.

Batman v. Superman: A Spoiler-Free Review

Let me preface this by saying that, going against the grain, I wasn’t particularly hyped for this movie - the notion of Batman fighting Superman I found generally eyerolling. I want to see those two team up to fight bad guys, not battle each other. Which - I don’t think I’m spoiling anything, considering this is movie intended to be setup for the Justice League - they do set aside their differences and work together in the final act. But I’ll get to that. Let’s just jump right in.

Let me start with what I enjoyed before I start venting my dislikes. I really liked Jesse Eisenberg as Lex Luthor. It was a different interpretation of the character that I enjoyed, a smarmy jackass who actually turns out to be quite the chessmaster and has a very elaborate behind-the-scenes plans for evil things. My sister described him as ‘evil Willy Wonka’ which is actually a reasonably apt description. (Of course, Willy Wonka is quite diabolical anyway, but I digress.).

I liked how Batman was portrayed. Whenever Ben Affleck was cast, there was a certain amount of outrage. However, it turned out to not be justified - he pulled off a fantastic Bruce Wayne, one that was easy to get invested in his struggle and understandable in his reasoning that leads him to square off against the Man of Steel.

I also liked how the movie addressed the philosophical and tactical differences between the two - exploring the idea of Superman as a god walking among us, saving the world but still mistrusted and feared because of those powers and the resulting dilemmas. Batman, of course, as the shadowed vigilante of the night - working beyond the law, rarely seen, and striking fear in the hearts of his enemies intentionally.

It’s really interesting setup and really interesting stuff that makes for a more cerebral sort of experience. You understand where both sides are coming from and how these differences could lead them into a fight. Of course, all of that is dropped in the last act for a plot point based on a random bit of trivia - something I think people will either unbearably contrived or actually genius.
But that, alas, brings us to the end of what I felt were the movie’s positives. Now we must turn our attention to the negatives. Let’s start with the minor stuff first. I can’t imagine a more shoehorned setup for the rest of the Justice League. Seriously. The movie actually has to stop everything its doing and show us video clips of them. They are literally attachments in an email.

Secondly - this one is more abstract and my biggest gripe - the tone. DC has had this reputation for a while now of taking everything way too seriously for its own good. There’s literally nothing to lighten the mood - the tone continues to be super grim, super dark and nary a shred of optimism or even a little bit of humor. The Marvel Cinematic Universe - with its much lighter tone - this is not. Everything is pessimistic, grim and the future is bleak. Nobody jokes, nobody laughs - I can’t even remember anyone even having an actual genuine smile throughout the movie.

 It’s that sort of movie: a grandiose spectacle, a vast super serious epic about the Man of Steel and Caped Crusader, worth seeing for the action and excitement but its not particularly fun. It’s really just a slog.

 The tone extends even to the color palate. Everything is gray, sterile and cold. With the exception of one - maybe two - scenes, the whole movie might as well have taken place either at night or on a string of bleak cheerless days in January. Ugh. Give me color! I don’t expect perpetual sunshine and rainbows, but seriously. Lighten up, movie!

You are, at its core, about a billionaire dressing up like a bat facing off against an alien from an exploded planet. Not everything has to be so, flippin’ gloomy.

Finally, the ending. And this is where I have to tread lightly (and I will go quickly and be as vague as I can). I rolled my eyes. I was supposed to feel emotions at what I watching but, really, all I could think was this: I know that this isn’t going to last, because I know how this works. You, movie, know its going to last and every single person in the audience knows it too.
The credits rolled and I left.

All in all, its not horrible. Worth a watch? Sure, if you’re a fan of the characters.

 But I still prefer the MCU over what DC is attempting here. I rate it a 6/10.

Island of the Lost Tortoise

Time for a throwback to a few years back!

I was rummaging around on my computer as I do and I stumbled across. Reading through it, I generally liked how it turned out and thought I would share! Yay for sharing! Also, I found it downright intriguing.

Island of the Lost Tortoise

Chapter One

Mark coughed, and opened his eyes. He was lying on glittering white sand, the ocean slapped up on the beach just behind him. The sun glittered overhead; white puffy clouds dotted the blue sky. He was soaking wet. He got up, pushing damp hair out of his eyes and struggled to remember how he’d gotten to…wherever this was. He vaguely remembered thunder and lightning, roaring waves and the ground tilting further under his feet…

So he’d been on a sinking ship evidently. But why? He strained his mind, trying to think of what had happened before that. Nothing. He drew a blank; he couldn’t remember anything before that. It was as though someone had scooped out all of his memories of his life.

He reached into his pockets, looking for anything that might trigger a flashback. A cell phone, screen black and ruined by the water and his wallet. He flipped it open with trembling fingers. Some damp dollar bills, a driver’s license, which identified him as Mark Stephens, six foot, one inch, two hundred and three pounds and a student ID, which informed him he attended Freesmarch University. 

Even these traces of his old life did nothing for his memory. It remained stubbornly blank. He glanced around more closely at his surroundings. He had washed up in paradise. A glittering white sand beach wrapped around a broad bay of perfectly clear blue water. A short distance from the beach, a wall of tropical greenery extended inland. Colorful birds sat on the branches. Seagulls wheeled overhead, screaming. 

“Well,” he said, trying to stay optimistic, though panic – real panic – was already setting in. “There’s worse places to wash up.” He had no idea how to survive in the middle of nowhere, no equipment, or even anyone to talk too. The sun beat down on his head, causing him to head for the trees, looking for some shade.

He had gone maybe a dozen steps whenever his dead, waterlogged phone started to ring. He froze, staring at it wide-eyed. The number on the screen marked it as unlisted. He hit the call button and pushed the phone to his ear.

“Trust the turtles,” a scratchy voice faded in and out, as though the connection was bad. “Trust the turtles and find my tomb.” 

The phone went dead. He stared at it, bemused. Then, before his eyes it began to dissolve into fine black dust, quickly carried away by a strong wind. 

He opened his mouth and closed it again, completely flummoxed.

What’s that even supposed to mean? 

He kept walking away from the beach and towards the greenery, whenever he came upon the path, a series of wide stone steps leading upwards. They were broken and crumbled now, grass grew between the cracks, and a thick tree root had pushed two of them completely apart. But they were clearly manmade. He scrambled up them eagerly, and stepped into the cool, green shade…and what was apparently an old plaza of some sort. A small circular pool stood in the middle, filled to the brim with clear water. 

He gingerly touched it – icy cold. It felt good, and somehow left him feeling cleansed. He drank greedily, cupping the icy water in his hands until he felt he was about to burst. Fresh water. Clean fresh water – this was a good thing, but he still felt incredibly anxious about the situation. And he was still puzzling over the cryptic words the man had spoken over his now disintegrated phone.

He sat down at the edge of the clearing – he could see the beach from here, a distant bar of white and blue, while he weighed his options. The most logical course of action, he thought, would be to get someone to rescue him – which meant, he should try building a large bonfire. Someone would see the smoke. He hoped. 

Of course, he needed a way to build a fire in the first place; he didn’t have any matches or anything. He could try flint and steel – he vaguely recalled that was an alternative way to create a flame – but he didn’t have those either, really. 

After several minutes, he gave up. Everything he could think of required tools that he didn’t have. He turned around, thinking maybe to have another drink from the pool whenever he saw the turtle – or, maybe tortoise was a better word. It stood about as tall as his waist, its heavy green-gray shell ridged and pockmarked. 

It surveyed him with solemn eyes, before it turned around and started to head into the trees. Mark stared at it for a long moment. It stopped, turned around and stared at him again, as if saying ‘Well, what are you waiting for? Move!’

Trust the turtles. 

He moved into the brush, following behind the turtle. It moved surprisingly quickly, at least as fast as he walked. The stone path he noticed earlier continued into the forest. Monkeys chattered from the trees, bright tropical birds fluttered from branch to branch. Here and there, he saw colorful butterflies or other insects moving in the trees. 

The turtle kept walking, and presently they came to a large clearing. The trees vanished, replaced by knee high grass. The afternoon sun shone in the sky, insects buzzed. Directly ahead of him, stood some old ruins: crumbling bits of wall, some old stone buildings with ivy growing on the sides, a quiet secretive, sad sort of place. 

The turtle kept going, walking right up to the walls and then looking back expectantly. 

“You want me to go in,” he said. “God. I’m talking to a turtle. This is the lowest I think I’ve ever sunk.” The turtle didn’t respond, but it looked somehow stern. 

He walked into the courtyard, stepping across a crumbling, faded mosaic depicting a turtle (of course). He wandered around the ruins, looking at the collapsed columns and broken statues and peered inside the nearest structure – sunlight fell in faded patches on a tile floor. Broken furniture was scattered around, along with a tipped over brazier and a few silver coins. 

Bits of broken machinery stood against the far wall, he had no idea what they were supposed to do. Finding a staircase, he began to climb it, whenever something moved out of the corner of his eye. He paused and headed over to the floor again, wondering if there was something he missed. The scene shimmered. 

The walls repaired themselves. The furniture righted and slid back to where it was. The broken machines began working, humming and spitting out little puffs of white smoke. But at the same time, the whole scene became shimmery and misty, somehow remote and distant, like he was watching a movie of some kind. 

A girl stood there, around eighteen or so – his age- in a plain white dress with gold hoops on her bare arms and her dark hair spilling down her back. She was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen in his life. She also looked unhappy, as an older man walked in, in a short tunic and pair of pants.

“My dear. You called?”

“Yes. I want to know how the current battles are going.”

“As well as can be expected. The news hasn’t changed since the last time you asked,” he offered a short, stiff bow. “I think that you need to relax, Princess. Perhaps find some way to amuse yourself and take your mind off your troubles.”

“My father is out in the middle of the greatest danger that that the Inario have ever faced,” she snapped. “I should be there with him, helping him save the Kingdom, not…not sitting here off on the edge.” The anger in her voice was obvious. 

“You are too young to face such dangers.”

“Do not speak to me of youth,” the princess snapped. “My father was my age when he assumed the mantle of the Kingdom.” She paced back and forth and let out a sigh.

“Halcon, I’m sorry. I don’t mean to snap at you – you’ve been nothing but loyal. All the same it’s frustrating to be trapped here, with scarcely any news while our very way of life sits on the brink of destruction.” Halcon offered a stiff bow.

“I am here to serve,” he said. “I know this must be difficult…but your father wanted you safe and secure.” At that moment, the door slammed open. Soldiers in dark uniforms, and holding spears that crackled with electric light burst into the room. The Princess flinched, and then held up one hand. A sphere of light emerged from nowhere, glowing with pale light. 

“What is the meaning of this?” she demanded.

“The King of the Inario is now dead,” they rumbled. “You are now the Queen and must also die…”

They lunged, but as they did so, the scene shifted again. Mark blinked. The room still had that strange misty quality, but the daylight looked different. The room was empty. As he watched, the Princess walked into the room and sat down at the table, scribbling out something on a piece of paper, before sending it away via a message hawk that he hadn’t noticed earlier. 

“This is not right,” she said loudly. “I shouldn’t be here.” The image flickered, stuttered as though it was a recording and there was something wrong with the video player. Then he saw her again, pacing. 

“Halcon! Come here!” 

Halcon entered the room. “My dear. You called?” 

“Yes. I want to know the current battles are going.” 

Mark blinked. The scene replayed itself, exactly as it had just moments ago, down to the last gesture and the soldiers bursting in on the scene. 

“A recording?” he asked aloud, watching the soldiers declare that the King of the Inario was dead, that the Princess was now a Queen and must therefore die. The scene flickered, changed again. The soldiers were gone, the Princess was now walking into the place, Halcon trailing behind her.

“You will be safe here,” he said. “It’s for the best, Princess. Your father is a wise man…”

“I suppose,” she said. “But this is wrong. My father would never send me away like this.” The scene flickered. He saw her again writing her message and sending it off, saw again her demanding to know how the battles were going from Halcon and the soldiers bursting in. Over and over again. 

On impulse, he reached out and touched the Princess’s shoulder. The scene changed, she turned and faced him.

“Who are you? How did you get in here without the guards noticing?”

“I – what?” Mark asked, bewildered. “You can see me?” she frowned at him, as though he was a sudden difficult problem. 

“Of course I can see you, why wouldn’t I be able to?” 

“It’s just…” he fumbled for the right word. “I thought this was a memory.” Halcon stepped into the room. 

“My dear. You called?” 

“You may leave, Halcon,” she said after a long moment. “And you can take the stranger with you.” 

“As well as can be expected,” he said. “The news hasn’t changed since the last time you asked.” 

Now, she looked taken aback, Mark noticed and turned to face him again.

“What sorcery is this?” she demanded.

“Hey, I didn’t do it,” he said, holding his hands. “I just…I followed the turtle.” 

“Followed the turtle…” she muttered, as if aware suddenly how dreamlike the room was. The guards burst into the room.

“The King of the Inario is now dead!” they said, and lowered their spears. They charged. She stepped aside. They charged and passed through the wall. 

The scene faded. The pristine state of the building faded back to ruins. Mark was alone again, only now with the Princess, who looked around at the ruined environment in completely shock and some horror, and then rushed out of the room, leaving Mark by himself.

Odd Little Piece A Draft

I wrote this today, took it about ten minutes, just playing around with various details for a fictional setting. Apparently, farms in this world harvest some sort of magic energy...stuff from groves of thin metal trees and rely on a metaphysical ocean to make the lights grow so they can be harvested for uses in something or rather.

Oh, and they ride a fantasy variation of a Triceratops.  I did like how this turned out, thinking I want to expound upon this setting.

“They look promising,” Darak said, pointing the scanner at the strange, floating spheres of light hovering above the metallic-looking pencil-thin tree. “Sixty-seven percent Ithael - that’s solid.” His father paused, coughing into a handkerchief.

“They’ll fetch a good price at the market,” he agreed. “I daresay we need it. Let’s check the next bunch, shall we?”

“Are you sure?” Darak asked. “You don’t look so good-”

“It’s just a cold. I’ll be fine.” He flicked the reins, with a grunt the Shieldface started to move, slowly turning away from the cluster of lights and onto the next part of the farm. Darak hesitated a moment and then flicked the reins for his own Shieldface and followed him down the neat stone path. More of the same - strange metallic tree-like structures with hovering spheres of light over them, some brighter, some dimmer than others - all spread over rocky hills long since shorn of any actual vegetation.

They walked for a distance before stopping at another tree. His father coughed again. His face was red and he looked tired.

“Forty-seven percent,” Darak read.

“Lower than last year,” his father said. “Very well. I don’t think we’ll get much more growth this year - I was checking the current projections before I left. The Aeurian currents have already started to shift.”

“That’s pretty early,” Darak said. “That’s going to sting.”

NaNo Session 6

 Part 2 of today's entry. We've passed the 10k word mark and we're caught up on where we're supposed to be! Hooray! See you tomorrow for another section of plot!

Chapter Eight con.

Immediately, he could see through it, all the way to its chrome core and the diagram over it. He focused, struggling to summon the blueprint again-

And then a burst of ice from the Sentry’s left hand. The burning cold instantly killed his focus. It advanced, as the small robot dinosaur rammed it, sending it sprawling backwards.

“Run, run! Go!” Geleth yelled. “Quickly!” Evan glanced up, just in time to see Derek swinging a heavy metal pipe he’d picked up from somewhere and smashed it on the creature’s back. An explosion, heat and flames burst every which way as the right tank fell to the ground, a twisted slag heap of shrapnel.

The Sentry stood up, now missing an arm and its flamethrower weapon, as the Triceratops ran in for another charge. The creature caught it by the horns and threw it, slamming it against the wall.
“No!” Evan yelled, scrambling to his feet. He focused, summoning the pyramid again in his mind, bringing the schematic to mind, focusing desperately on repairing it. His hand sparked with thin lightening, weakness already creeping up on him.

“Kid…” Geleth yanked him back. “There’s no time! Those mechanical contraptions are tougher than they look! It’ll catch up!”

He pulled him out of the room, just as the Sentry stirred and the Triceratops, thankfully, stirred, climbing to its feet. A horn had snapped off, as had part of its metal ‘skin’ exposing the wiring and computer parts below. Evan focused again, shaky, scared, but determined. The glass and metal stirred, swirling around the creature, as the schematic appeared. Immediately, an analysis appeared in the overlay, suggesting ways to improve upon the design.

“Do it!” he staggered back, letting the energies flow. It glowed with bright electric blue and white light…

He didn’t get a chance to see what happened next. The Sentry charged, they ran down the corridor.
“Where-” he struggled to catch his breath. “How much further?”

“Not too much longer now. The ship is just up ahead - we best pray that the little beast could hold off the Sentry, else we’re going to be in trouble.”

“What - is that thing?” Derek asked. “I mean, where did it come from?”

“One of the first experiments. An attempt to meld two different universe’s understanding of technology - you remember how I said that most of the things down here were left untouched because they were too big to move?”

“Yeah?”

“Well, that was only part of the reason. The other part was that. It was supposed to serve as a guard-dog. It went rogue for some unknown reason - tries to kill anyone who comes down here. All hush hush, of course. It didn’t come back up - mostly just urban legends now.”

The hallway ended abruptly before a massive door, partially torn open. Behind them, they could distantly hear lasers bursts and explosions, sounds of impeding battle. Geleth ducked through, the other two following only reluctantly. Evan felt his jaw drop - an enormous ship stood there, gleaming gold hull and brilliant blue glass.

“The Archelon,” Geleth said. “Our ticket out of here.”

Chapter Nine

“How long has this been here?” Derek asked, awestruck.

“About twenty years. That was going to be the next step before the attack - venture into the realm next door. Take a peek at what the neighbors were doing. For me - well, it was a chance to get back home.”

“Does it work?” Evan asked. “How do we board?”

“Well, that’s where you come in,” Geleth replied. “You have the artifact in your skull - put it to work.”

“How…?”

“How do you think? You’re going to have to summon the artifact and open the boarding ramp. Assuming you didn’t spend all your energy upgrading your robot friend, there. We will have to hurry - I don’t know long till the Sentry returns and potentially MagnaCorp’s old goon squad. I’m not sure which would be worse, honestly. They have to know what we’re attempting here.”

“Okay - I’ll try,” Evan took a deep breath, concentrating for a long moment. The pyramid appeared again, he lifted one hand, shaking and trembling from exhaustion. A hatch on the side opened up, and a stairway slid downwards. His knees buckled, a wave of exhaustion swept over him.

“I gotcha.” Derek caught him, dragging him up the stairs and into the ship. They stepped into a gleaming central room, all blue and gold - curved furniture followed the contours of the room. Holographic displays glowed on the walls, evidently showing the ship’s status. Geleth immediately disappeared, into what was presumably the cockpit.

“I can’t focus,” Evan mumbled, falling back on the couch. And then he was suddenly back in the laboratory, facing the Sentry. He felt stronger, tougher - upgraded. He charged the Sentry, lasers bursting from his horns. It crashed into a wall, its feet scrambling for purchase on the ground. He didn’t give it a chance. He fired again-

And then the creature grabbed him, a surge of ice overwhelming him - he was frozen solid. The Sentry left the room…

He came back to his senses, drawing in huge gulps of air. He was back in the ship.

“It’s coming,” he gulped. “The Sentry. I just…saw…”

“What?” Derek demanded. “How?”

“I…I’m not really sure. I kind of…I think I was seeing through the Triceratops’s eyes for a minute…” he trailed off. Derek was staring at him, concerned.

“You were seeing through its eyes?”

“I know. It’s crazy…”

He stood up, legs trembling with the effort. “I’m going to tell Geleth - I know what I saw…”
At that moment, lights began to come on, screens flickered and then became partly translucent, allowing them to see out into the hangers. The Sentry bounded in, hurling the Triceratops against the ship. It’s appearance had changed - it was slightly larger now and its skin had taken on a softer golden sheen.

Without even realizing it, Evan found himself connecting to it, controlling it remotely. He could see through its eyes. He knew intuitively how to use it - the new blueprint had added a new weapon, a third jolt. But he hadn’t upgraded its programming - it didn’t know how to use it.

He activated it. An electric cannon opened up on its back, a bolt of lightening lanced, smashing into the Sentry and sending it crumpling against the metal wall. It stood once more, now damaged, sparks and wires flickering.

The ship lurched, lifting into the air. Evan scrambled into the cockpit, where Geleth was pushing buttons rapidly.

“Portal system engaged. I dearly hope they finished this…”
“The Triceratops! We can’t leave it!”

“Let’s see. Minimal energy returns. Here we are.” He flipped a switch. Immediately, the Triceratops appeared in the cockpit, falling down on the metal floor.

“The ship can teleport people?”

“Limited capabilities, mostly to send people in and out of hostile environments. Now - one more time…also, when did that dinosaur get a cannon on its back?”

Evan focused, the cannon retracted. “I upgraded him back in that lab.”

He pushed a button. “Barely enough to get out. But it should do it. Better stay here, kid. I might need the artifact again. Either way, we’re going to make a pit stop. I know where to take us - before we really get underway.”

The Sentry climbed to its feet, shaking its mechanical head as the environment outside began to shimmer, swelling and distorting as though being viewed from outside a bubble. It took on a faint greenish tinge and then, suddenly, it was gone, replaced by utter blackness.

Chapter Ten

After a moment, the blackness faded replaced by shimmering blue light.

“I’ve set our cooridnates for Aluar - its the closet place we have for a jump between worlds. We can refuel. The ship’s not in terribly good shape, but it should at least get us there. And then…we’re going to Zenith.”

“Where’s that?”

“It’s a refuge, a place safe from MagnaCorp and all other possible enemies we’ve picked up.”
“But if we’re going to another world, shouldn’t we be safe from them?”

“They will find a way through the worldwalls. It’s only a matter of time. Especially since they have your father in custody.”

NaNo Session 5

Sorry for the delay - didn't actually do any writing yesterday like I should have. Making it up today with a double entry and double the word count! This is the first! :)

Chapter 6
Evan woke up as the car pulled to a complete stop, the compact Triceratops staring up at him, following his every move. It took him a moment to recall what had happened - his dad, the gas station, the artifact - the fact they were still on the run, fleeing from who-knew-what-enemy…
And he had saved them by creating a metal dinosaur made out of parts of a gas station that had somehow saved their lives. This day couldn’t get any weirder. It was evening now, the sun slowly setting behind a sprawling lake.

“We’re here,” Geleth said grimly. “Everyone out.” He obeyed, numbly undoing his seatbelt and scrambling out the front seat. The dinosaur followed him, marching next to him.

“Where exactly are we, though?” Derek asked. Evan had to agree with the skepticism in Derek’s voice - they were standing in the middle of nowhere. A building stood on the top of a hill - it looked like some sort of office building - the sort of generic glass and steel structure that was pretty much just drive-by scenery in the city.

It was weird, however, to see something like that way out in the middle of nowhere.

“It’s an off-site research facility, a spin-off the main site of Aerego Labs. You do know who they are, right?”

“Uh - weren’t they in an arms race or something against MagnaCorp?”

“Right. This was where some of the most important research happened - its our next stop. The Sentry is likely still alive in there, so stay alert…”

“Can I just say that sounds really, really ominous,” Evan said. “Why are we here again?”

“This is our best bet of getting off-world,” Geleth replied, striding up to the door, Evan struggled to keep up. “We don’t have a lot of time, really, so we will have to make this very quick indeed.” As they got closer, it quickly became evident that the building had been long abandoned - windows were broken, all the lights were off.

Next to him, Derek pulled out his phone and turned on the flashlight. He quickly did the same, as they stepped over broken doors. The lobby was a mess - furniture in disarray, a thick layer of dust on the counter tops. There was some vegetation - a spot for an indoor tree. It had long since withered and died. Above, a broken skylight provided a shaft of sun down into the dungeon.

“Yeah, this looks really a great way to leave the flippin’ world behind,” Evan said sarcastically.

Geleth smacked him lightly on the back of the head.

“Don’t be absurd,” he said. “What we need is further down. There’s nothing of value on the upper floors. The really interesting stuff - what’s left of it, anyway - is down below.”

He marched over to the elevator.

“Uh - this building doesn’t exactly have power anymore,” Derek said. “The elevator’s not going to work.” Geleth paused and frowned.

“They would have prepared for this,” he said. “A reserve energy source.”

“But wouldn’t that be long since dead - I mean, this place has been abandoned for - what, twenty years?”

“Frank Seghill worked here,” Geleth said. “I trust him to have thought of something. Perhaps we do need to check upstairs.”

“My dad worked here?” Evan looked around at the place with renewed interest.

“Yes.” Geleth nodded. “Let’s see - I think I can remember where his office is. It’s been a long, long time though.”
Together, they
climbed the stairwell to the second story, waiting for whatever would come next.

Chapter Seven

The second floor turned out be just as dismal as the first - ratty carpet, darkness and a thick layer of dust. Evan noticed, with some interest, there were no mice, no rats. The place was falling apart but apparently wildlife didn’t want anything to do with it. That alone made him uneasy  - but all the same, apprehension built in his chest.

What had his dad been working on here, exactly? Why had he been working on some sort of device to send them completely out of the world entirely? As they walked, he noticed the signs of a battle - black streaks on the walls as it from laser blasts, dark stains on the carpet, like blood and once, what looked like a fragment of bone.

“I’m impressed they didn’t burn this place to the ground,” Derek said. “But its still standing after all this time.”

“Neither side wanted to risk damaging the research. Both wanted it for themselves - in the end, its scattered. Your father ended up with a good piece of it, though. It was all in his labs, where he was trying to continue the work by himself. There are still some important things here, too big to effectively move.”

“…Here it is,” Derek said, tapping a nameplate on the door. “Frank Seghill.” They opened the door and peered inside, eyes adjusting to the gloom. It didn’t look like much - another abandoned office - a beat-up desk with an ancient computer on it, some rusting filing cabinets. An ancient computer stood on the desk.

“What exactly are we looking for?” Derek asked nervously. “And where’s this sentry thing you were talking about?”

“Oh, we won’t have to worry about the Sentry until we’re downstairs,” Geleth replied casually. “Must be something…” he opened a door to the filing cabinet. On a burst of inspiration, Evan knelt to the next to the small metal dinosaur.

“You can scan the room, can’t you?” he asked, feeling stupid. He was, after all, talking to a mechanical dinosaur. It stared at him for a moment, before two lasers burst from its eyes. Wherever it looked, walls faded into shadows. Geleth paused and turned around, obviously somewhat surprised.

“Well done,” he said, patting the creature on the back of the head. “Let’s see…ah.” For right in the middle of the wall was an enormous man-high safe.” He walked over to it.

“Hmph. If this place was still powered, I’d wager that you’d speak a passcode or some-such, which would lower the door. Very fond of faking people out, Frank was.”

“We saw that back at the house,” Derek volunteered. Geleth didn’t answer, his eyes narrowed in thought before he looked back at the Triceratops.

“Evan, see if you can command it to use its laser horns on the wall, firing around the safe we just found.”

“Uh…” Evan leaned down next to it. “You heard him, didn’t you? Can you expose whatever’s behind there?”

Two thin laser beams burst from its head, forming a rectangle. A whole section of the wall fell out, exposing an ancient metal machine, lightening flickering faintly inside a tube. A digital keypad was embedded in the middle.

“And there we are,” Geleth said smugly. “It’s a backup generator - he built it using my people’s technology as a base. I remember when he built it - granted he hadn’t moved it up here yet but all the same, now we can get moving.”

“But do you know the password?” Evan asked.

“I watched him set it myself,” Geleth said smugly. He tapped a few buttons. Moments later, the lightening inside the tube intensified. Lights flickered on, a low humming filled the building.

“There we are. Now perhaps we can get to the lower levels.”

“What happened here anyway?” Derek asked, as they walked, heading back to the lobby.

“A terrible battle,” Geleth said. “The people here were forced to evacuate - there was little time left in the end…”

They reached the elevator in the lobby, which opened silently.

“I worked here with him all those years ago,” he said. “I watched the battle on earth here begin - and now, it shall end.”

They descended.

“Be vigilant,” he advised. “The sentry prowls around. If we’re lucky, we won’t encounter it.”

“But what if we’re not?”

“I suggest you pray that we are.”

With a slight lurch, the elevator began to descend, dropping rapidly down below. Evan felt tense, scared. What was down there? Geleth seemed tense. Their only real protection was, apparently, a small robot Triceratops. Not exactly a comforting thought…

The door hissed open. They stepped out into long metal hallway, dimly lit by emergency lights. Doors to abandoned labs stood open and exposed.

“It’s down this way,” Geleth said. “The hanger is just up ahead.”

They walked down the corridor, tense and nervous for what was to come. And then they heard it - a loud, terrible screeching echoed down the hallway.

“It’s sensed us,” Geleth swore loudly. “Run.”

Chapter Eight

They ran. Evan didn’t even bother stopping to ask what was going. Labs passed by in a blur, when an enormous metal creature stomped down the corridor, crouched over, all turning copper gears and valves and computer chips, a terrible amalgamation of steampunk and modern-day aesthetics. Flames leaked from one claw and cold frost from another, linked to enormous tanks on its back.

“The Sentry,” Geleth said grimly. “He woke up more quickly than I thought he would.”

“What do we do now?” Derek asked, backing up. “We can’t go through…”

“We must,” Geleth said. “There’s no choice.” A burst of flames filled the corridor, they ducked into a lab, looking desperately around for something - anything - that might help contain the creature. Broken beakers and test tubes, leftover filing folders with some random bits of schematics - it seemed desperate.

It’s silhouette filled the room as it stomped in. The Triceratops stood its ground, standing firmly between Evan and the creature. Its horns glowed with light, striking the creature on the chest. It glanced off.

“It can’t be defeated like that,” Geleth said.

“The tanks on its back,” Derek said suddenly. “What if we smash them?”

“Well, that will take its weapons out of operation. But that won’t do much good, considering its still incredibly strong…”

I have to fix this, Evan thought. I have the artifact, don’t I?

He closed his eyes, trying to contain his fear. It appeared in the center of his mind, a glowing, translucent inverted pyramid. A rune peeled off of it - sparking with energy. He could do it - he could dismantle the monster-

“That won’t work!” Geleth cried, scrambling towards him. “It’s completely immune to the Artifact!”
New plan, then.

He focused on the Triceratops, still firing its lasers. The creature swatted it away, obviously irritated.