The Reality Bug

VEELOX

The next few days were spent in a blur of activity. Because Lifelight had been shut down, thousands of jumpers had no choice but to leave the pyramid and return to their lives in Rubic City. It was a strange thing to see.

People wandered out of the pyramid, hiding their eyes from the bright sun. Most seemed dazed, as if they weren’t sure what they should be doing or where they should go. I saw a few people arguing with phaders, demanding to be put back into their jumps. But the phaders could only shrug helplessly. Lifelight was dead. Whether the people of Veelox liked it or not, they had to deal with real life once again.

While the jumpers had to come to grips with the reality of reality, there were big doings among the people who ran Lifelight. Bottom line was, Lifelight had been shut down and the directors wanted to know why. Most of what happened over the next few days I couldn’t take part in, because, well, I didn’t belong. But there was a major inquiry and poor Aja was at the center of it. Luckily for her, she had a pretty good ally… Dr. Zetlin. Together the two of them faced the directors to answer the tough questions about why Lifelight was no more.

There was nothing Loor or I could do to help, so we went to stay with Evangeline and wait for news. But rather than sit in the quiet old mansion, wondering what was going on at the pyramid, Loor and I took a pedal vehicle and toured Rubic City to watch it come back to life.

It was pretty cool.

The streets were now full of people. Stores reopened for business. Once-grimy windows were washed sparkling clean. People even began to change out of their green jumpsuits to wear normal clothes again.

As we rode through the streets we listened in on people’s conversations. Of course the number one topic was Lifelight. People wanted to know what went wrong. But as the hours passed, we began hearing other conversations. People spoke about normal things like wanting to repaint their houses, or when they might expect fresh vegetables at the market, or about how much they missed seeing each other. I could only imagine that the same things were happening all over Veelox.

It was all good. The territory wouldn’t be reborn overnight, but it was definitely on its way. As happy as I was for the people of Veelox, this news had much bigger meaning for Loor and me. It meant that Saint Dane had been turned back once again. He thought he was in a no-lose situation. He wasn’t.

I have to admit, I was feeling pretty good about myself. Yeah, it was great and important to beat Saint Dane. That’s the main thing. But after having been embarrassed on First Earth, I felt that on Veelox I was able to pull the Travelers together and get the best from all of us. Aja was certain she had beaten Saint Dane before I even showed up, and make no mistake, she played a huge part in our victory. Maybe the most important part. But without the help of Loor and myself, it would have been a disaster.

As Loor and I pedaled around the reawakening city, I was actually beginning to accept the idea that maybe I was the lead Traveler. I still had no idea why I was chosen for the job, or who did the choosing, but my confidence was starting to grow. I went so far as to think that if I could continue to lead the Travelers the way I did on Veelox, then the ultimate victory over Saint Dane was possible.

I had come a very long way from that night when Uncle Press first brought me to the flume.

Aja didn’t return to her house for a couple of days. Evangeline was a wonderful host. She fed us gloid (we avoided the blue like the plague), and made up comfortable rooms for us. It was the first time I had spent with Loor when we weren’t in the middle of some crisis.

I didn’t hate it.

She told me about her life growing up as a warrior-in-training, and I told her about Stony Brook. Okay, my life wasn’t exactly as exciting as hers, but she listened and pretended to be interested. It was a great time. Loor and I had been through some hairy adventures, but we were now connecting on a whole new level. I think they call it “normal.” I always had a ton of respect for her. Now I felt as if I had found a friend.

I could have gone on like this forever, but it wasn’t meant to be. For on the afternoon of the third day, while the two of us pedaled through a new neighborhood, Loor made an announcement.

“There is nothing more for me to do here, Pendragon,” she said. “I need to return to Zadaa.”

This hit me out of left field and my thoughts were jumbled. “But, I thought… I was hoping…”

“What were you hoping?” Loor asked.

I took a breath to get my head together, then said, “I don’t see why we should split up. Saint Dane is going to show up again, I guarantee it. It would be better if we were together to deal with whatever he throws at us. Right?”

Loor gave this some thought, then answered, “You are right. We do not know where Saint Dane will surface. But I do know there is trouble on Zadaa. I want to be there and ready.”

“Okay, I get that,” I said. “But Saint Dane went to a territory called Eelong and Gunny followed him. I think we should go to Eelong.”

“I agree,” Loor said. “But we do not know for certain where Saint Dane plans to strike next. Yes, he went to Eelong, but Zadaa is on the verge of a civil war. How are we to know which he plans to attack first?”

I couldn’t argue with that.

“Go to Eelong,” she continued. “I will return to Zadaa. When events come clear, we can always find each other.”

I racked my brain trying to come up with reasons for us to stay together, but couldn’t undo her logic. What I had to admit to myself was that the real reason I wanted us together was because I didn’t want to be alone. Uncle Press was gone. Spader had issues, and Gunny was on Eelong. Even Aja had her hands full here on Veelox. The truth was that if Loor went back to Zadaa, I would be on my own. That scared me.

“Maybe I should go to Zadaa with you,” I offered.

“Then what of Eelong?” Loor asked. “Gunny has not returned. I believe you should find him.”

Gunny was only supposed to be on Eelong a short time. The plan was for him to get a quick look around and then return to Veelox. He didn’t. I got so caught up in Lifelight that I couldn’t go looking for him. Loor was right. What had to happen now was obvious. Saint Dane went to Eelong. Gunny followed him. Gunny didn’t come back. I had to go to Eelong.

Without another word of argument, I turned the pedal vehicle and headed for the flume. It was a little trickier dropping into the manhole this time because the street was no longer deserted. We had to wait until nobody was watching, then quickly lift the metal lid and drop into the derelict subway below. A few minutes later the two of us stood at the mouth of the flume. This day had not turned out the way I had expected.

“Say good-bye to Aja for me,” Loor said. “And Evangeline.”

I nodded. I didn’t want to say good-bye to anybody. Especially Loor.

“Thank you for coming to Veelox,” I said.

“Gratitude is unnecessary,” she declared. “I am a Traveler.”

“But I threw you into a pretty nasty situation without a whole lot of warning and… you are an amazing person, Loor.”

I wanted to hug her, but she wasn’t the sentimental type. So I was surprised when she reached forward and touched my cheek. It was a tender gesture. Something I never thought she was capable of.

“I feel the same about you, Pendragon,” she said sincerely. “I am glad you are our leader… and my friend.”

I felt a swell of pride and emotion. I hate to admit this, but my eyes started to tear up. There was no way I was going to let her see that, so I willed myself to get a grip. She backed away and stepped into the flume.

“Zadaal” she called into the dark tunnel. The flume came alive with light and sound. The far off musical notes were on their way to grab her and take her home. I had to fight the urge to jump in after her. That wouldn’t have been cool.

“Find me,” was all I said.

“I will,” Loor answered.

The gray stone walls melted into crystal as the light grew so bright I had to squint. The last image I saw of Loor was her silhouette. A moment later she was gone.

And I was alone.

I didn’t leave for Eelong right away. I needed to know how the Lifelight investigation went. Our mission on Veelox wouldn’t be over until all the loose ends were tied up. So rather than jump into the flume, I went back to Evangeline’s house.

When I arrived, I was surprised to find Aja sitting at the kitchen table with Evangeline, eating gloid.

“Where’s Loor?” was the first thing she asked.

“She went back to Zadaa,” I answered. “She asked me to say good-bye to both of you.”

Aja nodded and continued eating. She looked tired as she sat there enjoying her gloid, not saying a word. I was dying to know what had happened, but I didn’t jump all over her. I knew she would tell me when she was ready.

Evangeline said, “I’ll leave you two to talk,” and left the room. Uh-oh. I had the feeling that Aja had news, and it wasn’t necessarily good.

“There’s a public meeting tomorrow,” Aja finally said. “The directors are going to announce the findings of their investigation to all of Veelox.”

“What did you tell them?” I asked.

“Basically, I lied,” Aja admitted. “I said there was a software problem that corrupted the jump data and threatened the safety of the jumpers.”

“That wasn’t a lie,” I said.

Aja sniffed. “No, but it wasn’t exactly the whole truth.” “They believed you?” I asked.

“They had to. I had Dr. Zetlin on my side. The directors may be powerful, but they don’t mess with the Z.” “So he backed up your story?”

“Every word,” Aja quickly answered. “He didn’t say anything about the Reality Bug and took full responsibility for shutting down Lifelight.”

“And they bought it?” I asked.

“Remember, Pendragon, we were the only ones who saw the Reality Bug, but there were thousands of people all over Veelox whose jumps had gone sour. People were scared. They knew there was trouble.”

“What about the damage to the Alpha Core? How did you explain that?”

“We played dumb. To be honest, neither of us could come up with a logical explanation so we told them we didn’t know how it happened. They had to believe us because there was no way we could have done the damage ourselves.”

“You’ve been gone three days,” I said. “Were they questioning you the whole time?”

“No. Most of the time we spent troubleshooting the grid, checking every possible bit of data to make sure nothing else was corrupted,” she answered. “Of course, I was also looking for any sign of the Reality Bug.”

“And?”

“It’s gone,” she said with confidence. “Totally.”

“So you’re a hero,” I said with a smile. “The people of Veelox see you as the coolheaded phader who averted disaster.”

“Maybe,” she said. She then put her spoon down and sat back in her chair. She didn’t take her eyes off me. “What do you see me as?”

This was a loaded question. I knew how important this was to her.

“I see you as the Traveler who beat Saint Dane and saved her territory,” I answered with authority.

Aja smiled. “With a little help,” she said coyly.

“None of us can do it on our own,” I reminded her.

Aja nodded. “Did we really do it, Pendragon?” she asked tentatively. “Did we save the territory from Saint Dane?”

“You gotta take a look around Rubic City,” I said. “The place is coming alive. You’ve given them a second chance.”

The look on Aja’s face said it all. She felt as if her entire life had been about preparing for this challenge. It may not have played out exactly as she’d imagined, but the result was the same. She had succeeded. The look on her face was one of pure relief, and satisfaction.

“So what is the public meeting about?” I asked.

“I think they want to explain to the people what happened,” she answered. “People all over Veelox will be watching. Who knows? Maybe they’re going to give me a medal.”

The big meeting was held early the next morning.

It was all very exciting. Thousands upon thousands of people streamed into the pyramid to gather on the central floor. After getting used to Rubic City as a ghost town, it was amazing to see so many people flowing through the streets, all headed for one place.

I went with Aja and Evangeline. With the huge crowd flooding into the pyramid, it felt like we were going to the Super Bowl. As we walked along the glass corridor of the core, it was eerie to see all of the control stations dark. Not a single monitor or indicator light was lit. We entered the main chamber of the pyramid. It was even more breathtaking now because it was loaded with people. Not only was the main floor packed, but there were people standing on every level above us, looking down at the floor. Everyone was orderly, but there was electricity in the air.

As in the core, all the Lifelight indicator lights were out. The thousands of lights that had marked the jump cubicles were all dark. Seeing this made me believe that Lifelight was truly dead.

Aja led us through the crowd to the center of the pyramid floor, where there was a round stage. It was raised just enough so that everyone could see it. On the stage were fifteen chairs. Aja didn’t need to explain. This was where the directors would sit.

“We can go down front,” Aja explained. “I’m sort of part of this.”

“This is so exciting!” Evangeline exclaimed.

No sooner did we arrive at the platform, than the general buzzing of voices stopped. The show was about to begin. A section of crowd parted for a line of people who were walking to the stage. These people wore yellow jumpsuits and walked in single file. I looked at Aja. She nodded. These were the directors. They were all adults, some with gray hair. They climbed a few steps. to the platform and marched in front of the seats.

I saw that the last person in line was Dr. Zetlin. I had to do a double-take because his bevard was gone and he didn’t look as ghostly white as when he first came out of his jump. He looked almost human, and definitely more like the young guy we raced through the Barbican with… plus about sixty years. He glanced down, saw us standing in front, and winked.

All fifteen people sat down, except for one woman who walked to the front of the stage. She looked to be the oldest person of the group, except for Dr. Zetlin, that is. She had short, sandy-colored hair and sharp eyes. The woman surveyed the crowd, making sure to look up to the heights of the pyramid. It was like she was trying to make eye contact with each and every person there. The crowd of thousands went eerily quiet.

“That’s Dr. Kree Sever,” Aja whispered, “the prime director.”

“Is she, like, the boss?” I asked.

“Yes,” Aja answered. “You’re staying in her house.”

Right. I knew that name sounded familiar. This was the woman who was nice enough to let Aja and Evangeline live in her mansion. Now that she was out of Lifelight, I wondered if Aja and Evangeline would have to find a new place to live.

“Welcome to all those who have come here today,” Dr. Sever began in a strong voice. “And to those who are watching from distant parts of Veelox.”

Her voice was amplified throughout the pyramid. I guessed she had a microphone, which is also how they heard her at remote locations.

“After three days of exhaustive research,” she continued, “we, the directors of Lifelight, have come before you in order to explain recent events, and to present the decision we have made regarding the future.”

The woman sounded kind of like a politician running for office, rather than a scientist. I think she liked being in front of a crowd.

“We are honored,” she continued, “to have with us a man whom we all know, but few have had the privilege to see in person, until today. I’m speaking about none other than the creator of Lifelight himself, the esteemed Dr. Zetlin.”

The pyramid broke out in wild applause. It was deafening. Zetlin didn’t move. In fact, he looked embarrassed. After five minutes of this standing O, Dr. Sever quieted the crowd and continued, “What better person to explain the confusing events of the last few days, than the one man who knows more about Lifelight than any other? It is my great pleasure to present to you the legendary Dr. Zetlin.”

The crowd erupted again. I was betting this kind of applause was happening all over Veelox. Dr. Zetlin slowly rose to his feet, nodded to Dr. Sever, and walked to the front of the stage. He raised his hands to quiet the crowd. Nobody wanted to stop. It took another five minutes before the place finally quieted down.

“My friends,” Dr. Zetlin began, “I stand before you today a humbled man. Never, in my wildest imagination, could I have foreseen the events that happened here and across Veelox.”

I looked around to see that every eye was focused on Dr. Zetlin. He was a legend. No, he was a superstar. For these people to see him in person must have been pretty awesome.

“I’m not speaking of the problems that were encountered with Lifelight that prompted me to shut it down,” he continued. “I am speaking of the state my beloved Veelox has fallen into because of my invention. For that, I am ashamed.”

A slight nervous murmur went through the crowd. I don’t think they were expecting to hear bad news.

“I designed Lifelight to be a celebration of life, not a substitute,” he continued. “Living an ideal existence is difficult to resist. I know. I am just as guilty as any of you. My intent was to stay inside the perfect world of my choosing, never to be bothered with the challenges of reality again. But it is a fool’s paradise. We have become a society of individuals whose only concern is our own comfort, pleasure, and amusement. By embracing Lifelight, we have turned our backs on our cities, on our neighbors, and worst of all, on our loved ones.”

There were thousands of people in the pyramid, but they were as silent as a painting. It was kind of creepy.

“I believe the problems we encountered a few days ago may very well prove to be our salvation/’ Zetlin said. “Corrupt data had infected the grid, disrupting many of the jumps.”

Corrupt data? That was a nice way of describing Aja’s Reality Bug.

“Thanks to the quick and fearless actions taken by Aja Killian, the senior phader in Rubic City, the problem was contained.”

Dr. Zetlin pointed to Aja. The crowd applauded. Aja stepped forward and raised her hand in acknowledgment. When the applause died down, Zetlin continued, “But in order to purge the grid of this corrupt data, I made the difficult decision to shut down Lifelight entirely. We were doubly successful. The grid was cleared, and Veelox was given a second chance.”

Dr. Zetlin was doing an excellent job. He was not only explaining to the people of Veelox why Lifelight had been shut down, he was telling them why it was a good thing.

“It is my wish that until we can learn how best to utilize Lifelight for the good of all of Veelox, that we not even consider bringing it back online.”

Another concerned murmur went through the crowd. That last statement surprised them.

“And I pledge to work with the directors, and with all of you, to find a balance that will bring as much joy from living in the reality of Veelox, as we found in the fantasy of Lifelight. Thank you.”

The people all applauded, but not with the same enthusiasm as when Zetlin was first introduced. I don’t think they liked the idea of not being able to jump back into Lifelight. But I figured they didn’t have a choice. They were going to have to learn how to deal with reality again, whether they liked it or not.

Dr. Zetlin sat down at his place and gave us another look, and a nod. I smiled at him. It must have been tough to stand in front of the entire population of Veelox and announce that his life’s work was flawed. But I truly believed that with his help, the people of Veelox would one day figure out how to get the best from Lifelight, without giving up their real lives.

Dr. Sever then stood and addressed the crowd, saying, “We have much to thank Dr. Zetlin for. His genius and vision not only created the wonder that is Lifelight, but he rescued Veelox from a potentially disastrous incident by making the hard decision to shut down the grid. Moreover, he and his colleague, Aja Killian, have worked tirelessly to ensure that the problem that nearly destroyed Lifelight is no more.”

That was followed by a round of applause.

Sever continued, “We respect Dr. Zetlin’s considered opinions as to the future of Veelox and of Lifelight. We, the directors agree that we must work to find the proper use of Lifelight in our ever changing society. However…”

However? She let the word hang. I had the feeling that something was coming, and it wasn’t going to be good.

“We disagree with Dr. Zetlin in how to go about that. We feel that the only possible way to best understand how to utilize Lifelight is to explore those options… while it is fully operational.”

Uh-oh. An excited buzz went through the crowd. Zetlin jumped to his feet in anger.

“No!” he shouted. “That defeats the purpose! If people go back into their jumps, we’ll be right back where we were!”

“With all due respect. Doctor, we don’t think so,” Sever said with a superior attitude. “Lessons have been learned. It is the decision of the directors to bring Lifelight back into operation immediately.”

Sever waved her hand. It was a signal. Suddenly the Lifelight pyramid sprang back to life. People looked around in wonder as the operational lights came back on. It was like Christmas had come to Veelox as the pyramid was once again alive with the multiple lights of Lifelight. Once the people realized what was happening, they cheered. They actually cheered. It was like their team had just pulled out a surprise victory in sudden death.

“What is happening?” Evangeline asked, confused.

“Did you know about this?” I screamed at Aja to be heard over the crowd.

“No!” she answered. “When they wanted us to trouble-shoot the grid, I didn’t think they wanted to go back online!”

People started pushing to get off the floor. The once orderly crowd had been charged with energy. None of them wanted to be left out. They were all hurrying to get back to a jump cubicle and reenter their fantasies.

“We’ve gotta stop them!” I pleaded.

Aja jumped up on to the stage and ran to Dr. Zetlin.

“Do something!” she begged.

Zetlin said, “If we can get to the Alpha Core before the jumps begin, I can take control.”

Aja grabbed him by the hand and pulled him off the stage. “Hurry!” Evangeline shouted.

We left her by the stage and the three of us pushed our way through the surging crowd, back to the Alpha Core.

“What are you going to do?” I asked Zetlin as we fought our way through.

“They know the origin code now, so they have control,” he panted. “I can override the phaders, but only if they haven’t gotten the grid back online yet. Once that happens, I won’t be able to control anything from the Alpha Core. We’ll be at the mercy of whatever the directors want.”

“Stop those people!” Dr. Sever ordered from the stage, pointing at us.

A group of phaders started after us, but they were having just as much trouble getting through the massive crowd as we were. I looked up into the pyramid and saw jump cubicle doors opening up all over. Some people pushed others out of the way to get in first. Young people took advantage of the weak and pulled them out of the cubicles to take it for themselves. It was a musical chairs, nightmare riot. Nobody wanted to be left out. They didn’t care what Zetlin had said. They didn’t care about the future of Veelox. They were addicted to their own fantasies and would do anything to get back in.

We had to take control and shut down Lifelight, for good.

We finally made it back into the core. Down the long corridor of glass I saw phaders taking their places in the control chairs, preparing to begin the jumps. But there was still time. The control stations were still dark.

Aja ran to the door leading to the Alpha Core and inserted her green card. The door didn’t open. She tried it again; it stayed closed.

“Your card has been disallowed,” came a voice from behind us. It was Dr. Sever. She walked up to us with several strong-arm-looking phaders.

“Your actions over the last few days are still suspect, Aja,” Sever said. “Until we complete a full investigation, we can’t allow you access to Lifelight.”

“Dr. Sever,” Zetlin said calmly, “please, give it some time. You hold the future of Veelox in your hands. Won’t you please wait?”

“I’m sorry Dr. Zetlin,” she said with a smile. “I’m afraid it’s too late. Every pyramid on Veelox is moments away from going back online.”

As if on cue, the core came to life. The millions of indicator lights flashed once again as images appeared on the thousands of monitors. The jumpers were back in their fantasies. Dr. Zetlin closed his eyes and dropped his head in defeat.

I was stunned. Moments before, I felt sure we had pulled Veelox back from the brink of collapse. But now the territory was in as much danger as the moment I first arrived. No, it was worse. Aja’s Reality Bug had failed. Veelox had reached a critical turning point, and was pushed the wrong way.

There was no other way to say it:

Saint Dane had won.

“This is all thanks to you, Dr. Zetlin,” Sever said. “You got rid of that nasty little bug quite nicely. Now we can return to normal.”

Bug? Did she say bug? Nobody knew about the bug except…

Dr. Sever then leaned down to me and whispered in my ear. There was a subtle change in her voice. To everyone else she still sounded like Dr. Kree Sever, prime director of Lifelight. But the cold tone of her voice said something very different to me.

“How does it feel, Pendragon?” she said with an iciness that made me shiver. “The first territory of Halla is mine.”

Bobby’s image disappeared abruptly.

Mark and Courtney were left staring at nothing. They had left the Sherwood house and returned to the privacy of Courtney’s father’s basement workshop to watch the journal.

“That’s it?” Courtney asked, upset. “He stopped recording his journal right there? That’s not fair!”

Before Mark could offer an opinion, another image flickered to life. The recording wasn’t yet complete. Courtney and Mark watched in wonder as the 3-D projection formed in front of them.

“There’s more!” Mark exclaimed.

But the image that appeared before them wasn’t Bobby’s. It was Aja Killian’s.

“Hello to you, Mark Dimond and Courtney Chetwynde,”Aja began. “My name is Aja Killian, the Traveler from Veelox. Pendragon has told me all about you two, and that he trusts you both very much. Thisis why I am completing his journal for him.”

Aja took off her small yellow glasses and rubbed her eyes. She looked tired.

“Pendragon is gone‘“she continued. “He left Veelox shortly after Lifelight was brought back online. His destination was the territory of Eelong to search for the Traveler named Gunny I feel as if my duty is to stay here to do all I can to keep Veelox from falling further into decay. I have the help of Dr. Zetlin, but I’m afraid we are fighting a losing battle. The directors have all returned to Lifelight Most of the phaders and vedders have also left on their own jumps. There aren’t enough people left in reality to monitor the jumps, let alone care for their real lives. The pull of fantasy was just too strong. Saint Dane has won. Veelox is near dead.”

Aja was holding back tears.

“Pendragon asked me to finish his journal so you would know the state of Veelox, and to send it on to you. It is the least I can do. I feel as if I have failed the territory, failed the Travelers, and failed Pendragon. My only hope is that we can stop Saint Dane on the other territories, so that the only casualty of this evil war will be Veelox. My home.”

She swallowed hard and then said, “In my heart, I know this is not the way it was meant to be. This is the end of Bobby Pendragon’s Journal Number Fifteen. Good-bye.”

Aja’s image disappeared. The journal, and Bobby’s adventure on Veelox, was now complete. Mark picked up the small silver projector and stared at it, as if hoping there were one last bit of news that would leap from it to give this story a happy ending.

There wasn’t.

“So what does this mean?” Courtney asked nervously. “Saint Dane always said that as soon as the first domino fell, the others would fall easily.”

“l-lreally don’t know,” Mark said somberly.

Courtney jumped to her feet and exciaimed. “I feel totally helpless. All this stuff is going on and all we can do is sit around and hear about it like a couple of nimrods.”

This made Mark smile. “I thought you only wanted to worry about school and soccer and normal life?” he asked.

Courtney stopped and looked straight at Mark. “The hell with soccer” she declared. “I thought we were supposed to be acolytes?”

“Now you’re talking!” declared Mark.

Early the next morning the two were back sitting on the couch in the apartment of Tom Dorney. Together they watched all three of Bobby’s journals from Veelox. Afterward they described to Dorney what happened at the Sherwood house with the quigs and the stunning appearance of a flume.

“If that doesn’t say we’re ready to be acolytes,” Courtney concluded, “then tell us what will.”

Dorney scratched his chin. He then hoisted himself up out of his easy chair, grumbled, and shuffled into the kitchen.

“Does this mean he’s pulling our chain again?” Courtney asked.

Mark shrugged. “Give him a chance.”

Dorney shuffled back into the living room with a glass of water. He didn’t offer any to Mark or Courtney. The guy wasn’t exactly a great host. He sat back down in his chair, spilling some water on his lap.

Courtney rolled her eyes, but neither said anything. The ball was still in Dorney’s court.

“You’re going to get messages,” he said calmly. “Sometimes from Travelers, other times from acolytes on other territories.”

Mark and Courtney sat up straight. Things had just gotten very interesting.

Courtney asked, “What kind of-” “Let me speak,” Dorney snapped. Courtney shut up.

“They’ll come to you through the ring,” Dorney continued. “Like the message I sent to you. They may tell you that a Traveler will be arriving and that you need to provide Second Earth clothing. That’s usually the case. But Pendragon may need something specific.”

“Like when you had to take care of Press’s motorcycle,” Mark jumped in. He couldn’t resist. He was getting excited.

“Yes,” Dorney answered, then took a sip of water.

“What about the quigs?” Courtney asked.

“Protect yourself,” Dorney answered. “There’s no magic wand you can wave to make them go away. They aren’t always around, but you have to be prepared when they are. I’ll tell you one thing, they’re afraid of the flumes. Don’t ask me why. When a flume activates, you won’t see any quigs around.”

“Can we contact other acolytes?” Mark asked.

“Look at your ring,” Dorney ordered.

Mark held up his hand so he and Courtney could see the heavy ring with the dark gray stone surrounded by the odd, carved symbols.

“Each of those symbols represents a territory,” Dorney explained. “There are ten in all.”

“Ten territories,” Mark repeated softly, as if he had just been given the secret of the ages.

“If you know the name of an acolyte,” Dorney continued, “take the ring off and call out that name. The symbol from their territory will activate the ring and you can send a message.”

“So if I took off the ring and said: ‘Evangeline,’ the symbol for Veelox would open up the ring and I could send a note to her?”

“That’s right.”

“Is that how we should get in touch with you?” Mark asked.

“You could,” Dorney answered. “Or you could pick up the telephone.”

“Oh. Right,” Mark said, feeling dumb.

“Can we contact Bobby through the ring?” Courtney asked.

“No,” was Dorney’s quick answer. “Only the acolytes. Travelers don’t need to be bothered with our problems.”

“Is there anything else?” Mark asked.

Dorney took some time to think about that answer. He looked out the window, his mind seeming to fly a million miles away. Courtney and Mark looked at each other. They weren’t sure if Dorney had tuned them out, or was having deep thoughts.

“You are the acolytes from Second Earth now,” Dorney finally said. “With Press gone, I’m no longer needed. It may be an easy job compared to what the Travelers do, but I think you’ll agree it’s an important one.”

“We do. Absolutely. Yessir,” they assured him.

Dorney looked back out the window with a frown on his face.

“Is there something you’re not telling us?” Courtney asked.

Dorney sighed and said, “It’s just a feeling.”

“What?” demanded Courtney.

“I don’t know,” Dorney said anxiously. “I didn’t like what I heard about Veelox.”

“Yeah, no kidding,” Courtney said.

Dorney looked at them. For the first time since they’d met him, Mark and Courtney actually felt as if he were softening up a bit.

“What I mean to say is,” Dorney continued, “be careful. Saint Dane has finally had a victory, and there’s no telling what’s next. From this point on, I can’t guarantee that the old rules still apply.”

Mark and Courtney took the train back to Stony Brook with that ominous warning still on their minds. Neither said much. They both had to get their minds around the fact that they now were officially acolytes. The only question was, what next?

“I want to go to the flume,” Mark announced.

“Why?” Courtney asked.

“We’ll bring some of our clothes to leave there.”

“But nobody told us they needed clothes,” Courtney countered.

“I know. Just thinking ahead.”

The two fell silent for a moment, then Courtney said, “That’s just an excuse to go there, isn’t it?”

Mark was ready to argue, but decided not to. He nodded. “I guess I just want to see it again. To prove it’s real.”

“I hear you,” Courtney said. “I do too.”

When they got off the train in Connecticut, they both went home and gathered up a bunch of clothes they thought a Traveler from some distant territory might need to blend in on Second Earth. Courtney picked out a bunch of simple, functional things like jeans, T-shirts, a sweater, socks, hiking boots, and underwear. She debated about bringing one of her bras, but figured that was overkill.

Mark gathered up a bunch of clothes that were totally out of style. It wasn’t like he had a choice. That’s all Mark had. He found sweatshirts with logos that meant nothing, no-name jeans, and generic sneakers. Style was not something Mark concerned himself with. He hoped the Travelers wouldn’t either.

Mark brought one other thing from his house that he hoped he wouldn’t need. He borrowed the sharp poker from his parents’ fireplace toolset. It was woefully inadequate to deal with an attacking quig-dog, but it was all he could find.

Mark and Courtney met in front of the gates to the Sherwood house, each with a loaded backpack. They didn’t say a word to each other as they walked around the side of the property to the tree that would give them access to the yard. Once over the wall, Mark held the fireplace poker, ready to defend them against a rampaging quig. Courtney saw that Mark’s hand was shaking like Jell-O, so she gently took the poker from him. If either of them had a chance of fighting off a charging quig, it would be Courtney.

But they didn’t run into any of the yellow-eyed beasts. They made it through the house, down to the basement, and into the root cellar that held the flume. No problem. They emptied their backpacks and neatly folded the clothes in a pile. Courtney looked at some of the geek clothes Mark brought, and chuckled.

“Oh, yeah, Bobby’s gonna blend right in wearing a bright yellow hooded sweatshirt with a red logo that says, Cool Dude!

“Give me a break,” Mark said defensively. “It’s my favorite sweatshirt.”

Courtney shook her head in disbelief. When they were finished, they both gazed into the dark tunnel to the territories. They stood together silently, each with their own thoughts as to what the future might hold.

“I’m scared and excited at the same time,” Mark finally said.

“Really,” Courtney added. “I want to be part of this, but it’s scary not knowing what to expect.”

“Can you imagine being a Traveler?” Mark asked while stepping into the mouth of the tunnel.

“Well, no,” Courtney answered, “to be honest.”

“Well, I’ve thought about it a lot!” Mark declared. “It would be awesome, stepping into a flume and announcing the next amazing place you’d like to go.”

“It’s pretty unbelievable,” Courtney agreed.

“Look at this thing!” Mark said, scanning the flume. “Ifs kinda like having a jet fighter.”

“It is?” Courtney asked with a chuckle.

“Yeah. You know what it’s capable of, but have no idea what to do to make it go.”

“It’s not all that hard,” Courtney said, “if you’re a Traveler.”

Mark smiled, turned to face the dark tunnel, and shouted out: “Eelong!”

He looked back to Courtney and said, “Could you imagine if-“

“Mark!” Courtney shouted.

Mark saw the terrified look on Courtney’s face. She was looking deeper into the flume. What was back there? Mark spun quickly to see the impossible.

The flume was coming to life!

Mark jumped out of the tunnel and ran to Courtney. The two backed away toward the far wall of the root cellar, hugging each other in fear.

“D-Did I do that?” Mark asked.

“Or is somebody coming?” Courtney added.

The light appeared from the depths of the tunnel. The musical notes were faint at first but quickly grew louder. The rocky walls began to crackle and groan. Mark and Courtney could only stare in awe.

“l-l don’t really want to go to Eelong,” Mark cried. Courtney held him tighter, ready to hold him back if she felt him getting pulled into the flume.

The gray walls melted into glorious crystal as the bright light and sound arrived at the mouth. Mark and Courtney had to squint. They didn’t dare put their hands in front of their eyes, though. They were too busy hanging on to each other.

They soon realized they weren’t about to be pulled into the tunnel. Something else was headed their way. Through the bright light they saw a tall, dark silhouette walk out of the flume. Oddly, unlike everything they had ever heard about how the flumes worked, once the passenger arrived, the sparkling light didn’t go away. The jangle of music stayed too. Whatever was happening now, it was out of the ordinary. Mark and Courtney opened their eyes. What they saw made them want to close them again, because standing in the mouth of the flume was Saint Dane.

He had arrived on Second Earth.

The two had never seen him before, but there was no mistaking the tall demon with the long gray hair, piercing blue eyes, and dark clothes. The light behind him continued to burn and the walls remained crystal. This had never happened before, at least not that Mark or Courtney knew.

“And so it begins,” Saint Dane cackled. “The walls are beginning to crack. The power that once was, will no longer be. It is a whole new game, with new rules.”

Saint Dane roared out a laugh. With a sudden burst of light from deep inside the flume, his hair caught fire! His long gray mane exploded in dancing flames, burning right down to his skull. Mark and Courtney watched in horror as the flames reflected in his demonic eyes. Saint Dane laughed the whole while, as if he were enjoying it.

Mark and Courtney didn’t move. If Courtney had her wits about her, she would have felt that Mark was trembling.

The fire burned away all of Saint Dane’s hair, leaving him bald, with angry red streaks that looked like inflamed veins running from the back of his head to his forehead. His eyes had changed too. The steely blue color had gone nearly white. He fixed those intense eyes on the two new acolytes and smiled. He then tossed a dirty, cloth bag at their feet.

“A present for Pendragon,” Saint Dane hissed. “Be sure he gets it, won’t you?” Saint Dane took a step back into the light of the flume. “What was meant to be, is no longer,” he announced.

Saint Dane then began to transform. His body turned liquid and he leaned over to put his hands on the ground. At the same time his body mutated into that of a huge, jungle cat. It was the size of a lion, but speckled with black spots. The big cat then snarled at Mark and Courtney, and leaped into the flume. An instant later the light swept him up and disappeared into the depths. The music faded away, the crystal walls turned back to stone, and the light shrank to a pin spot.

But it didn’t disappear entirely.

Before Mark and Courtney could get their heads back together, the light began to grow again. The music became louder and the walls went crystal again.

“My brain is exploding,” Mark uttered.

A second later the bright light flashed at the mouth of the tunnel and deposited another passenger.

“Bobby!” Mark and Courtney shouted, and ran to him. They threw their arms around him in fear and relief. The tunnel then returned to its normal, quiet state.

But Bobby wasn’t there to give them comfort. “What happened?” he demanded.

Mark and Courtney pulled away. Both of them were supercharged with adrenaline. “It was Saint Dane!” Courtney shouted. “His hair burned! It was horrible!”

“He said the rules have ch-changed, Bobby,” Mark stuttered. “What did he m-mean?”

Bobby took a step back from the others. Mark and Courtney felt him tense up.

“What did you do?” Bobby demanded. It sounded like he was scolding them.

“Do?” Courtney said. “We didn’t do anything!”

Both Mark and Courtney focused on Bobby. He was wearing rags. His feet were bare, his hair was a mess and he had a coating of dirt all over his body. He didn’t smell so hot either.

“What happened to you?” Mark asked.

“It doesn’t matter!” Bobby shouted back. He was just as charged up as they were. “Did you activate the flume?”

Mark and Courtney looked to each other. It took a while for them to register what Bobby was asking. Finally Mark said, “Uh, I g-guess so. I said ‘Eelong’-“

“No!” Bobby shouted in frustration.

“What’s the matter?” Courtney asked. “We’re not Travelers. We can’t control the flume.”

“Things have changed,” Bobby shouted out. “Saint Dane’s power is growing. He’s got his first territory. It’s all about changing the nature of things.”

“So… that means we can use the flumes?” Courtney asked.

“Don’t!” Bobby demanded. “It’ll just make things worse.”

Mark then remembered something. He ran back to the door of the root cellar and picked up the bag Saint Dane had thrown at them.

“He said this was for you,” Mark said, handing the bag to Bobby.

Bobby took it like it was the last thing in the world he wanted. He turned the rotten bag upside down, and something fell onto the floor.

Courtney screamed. Mark took a step back, not believing his eyes. Bobby stood firm, staring at the floor, his jaw muscles clenching.

Lying at his feet was a human hand. It was large and dark skinned. As gruesome as this was, there was something else about it that made it nearly unbearable to look at. On its finger, was a Traveler ring.

“Gunny,” Bobby whispered in agony.

The three stood there, unable to move. Finally Bobby took a brave breath, picked up the hand and jammed it into the bag.

“Bobby, what’s happening?” Courtney asked.

“You’ll know when I send my journal,” he said. He then turned back and ran into the mouth of the flume, clutching the bag with Gunny’s hand. “Eelong!” he called out. The flume sprang back to life. The light and music started on their way back for him.

Mark was nearly in tears.

“Is Gunny all right?” he asked.

“He’s alive,” Bobby said. “But I don’t know for how long.”

“Tell us what to do!” Courtney pleaded.

“Nothing,” Bobby answered. “Wait for my journal. And whatever you do, do not activate the flume. That’s exactly what Saint Dane wants, and it is not the way things were meant to be.”

With a final flash of light and jumble of notes, Bobby was swept up and into the flume, leaving his two friends alone.

Mark Dimond was ready for an adventure.

He was about to get one.

(TO BE CONTINUED)