Stan Lee For Mayor

If you or your younglings watch the new "Superhero Squad Show," you may have seen Saturday's "Election of Evil," where the Mayor of Super Hero City (Lee) loses the election to Egghead, via a charisma device. The Mayor, a paperwork-loving, tone-deaf not-so-super hero, and Wolverine (whose super hearing protects him from mind control, apparently) have to set things right before Doctor Doom and the rest of Villain City (?) come and destroy everything.

I've never had a chance to watch the show, aimed at introducing Marvel's superheroes to a younger generation, but it was a blast to hear Stan Lee. Lee's been known to be kind of a ham (not to mention various bystanders in Marvel's live action films), but I thought that he made the Mayor quite endearing. Obviously, it's apt for him to be mayor since he co-created half the characters in the series. Speaking of which, why is Spider-Man not in this series?

The only thing more fitting would be if Jack Kirby was still alive, so that he and Lee would rule over Marvelland together. Then, all would be right in the world.

The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah - Final Chapter: Checkmate

Rick Daring slowly peeled off the rest of his mask. “It’s over,” he said.

Zeitgeist showed no surprise. “Hmph. ‘Ragdin.’ I should have realized sooner.”

“It took me a year to disappear, reinvent myself, and slowly work my way into your secret empire. I climbed up higher and higher until I found someone important. Like you.”

“Let me be the first to congratulate you,” muttered Zeitgeist. His hand tightened around the trigger of the hidden gun built onto the underbelly of his desk. He pushed the trigger but nothing happened. Zeitgeist’s face was flushed with anger.
“Yes, I emptied it,” said Daring. “I’d be a fool if I didn’t check out your office before confronting you. Without you knowing, of course.”

“Of course,” said Zeitgeist. “You know, we could use a brilliant man, like yourself.”

“Save the sales pitch,” warned Darning. “I’m here to bring your Cabal down. Too many good men have been lost because of your thirst of knowledge.”


“I had to try,” said Zeitgeist. He started to shrug, but his large hands grasped the edge of the desk. He overturned the desk, sending everything falling onto Daring. Daring picked up a lamp and threw it at Zeitgeist’s leg, causing the villain to fall.
Daring jumped at him, but Zeitgeist rolled away, and Daring slammed into the ground. Resilient, Daring got up, barely dodging a punch from Zeitgeist. Daring grabbed Zeitgeist’s arm and sent flying into the bookcase, thanks to a judo toss. Daring managed to get another blow in just as Zeitgeist kicked him in the stomach. Zeitgeist made his way towards the back bookcases, but Daring was far from finished. He launched himself at his opponent. This time, he was successful in sending the two of them over the couch and onto the floor.

Daring grabbed at Zeitgeist, hoping to prevent the villain from leaving, but Zeitgeist brushed him off with relative ease. Zeitgeist picked up a small coffee table and succeed in a glancing blow that sent Daring back to the floor. He brought the table down onto Daring’s head, splitting the table into two.

Zeitgeist frowned. “I was rather fond of that,” he muttered. He walked over to a particular bookcase and removed an ordinary-looking book. The bookcase disappeared into the wall, revealing a small room: an armory with various weapons displayed in glass cases.

Zeitgeist started to fill a backpack, while Daring dragged himself back to consciousness. He shook his throbbing head and slowly got back to his feet. Peering into the secret room, Daring watched as Zeitgeist fill the small backpack. With his back to Daring, Zeitgeist did not know that his nemesis had regained consciousness so soon. Daring quietly started to circle around Zeitgeist, keeping a row of display cases between him and Zeitgeist.

Unfortunately, Daring felt dizzy for a moment and bumped into one of the cases. Zeitgeist immediately turned around, an assault rifle in hand and opened fire. Daring dropped to the floor as glass showered down on top of him. Bullets ate up the wall behind him. Zeitgeist grabbed the backpack and started to run towards a door at the end of the room.

Daring reached up in the torn up case and pulled out the first thing his hand could find. He ran parallel to Zeitgeist, opening fire with the semi-automatic pistol he had taken. Zeitgeist took cover behind one of the columns running through the middle of the room. Daring ducked behind more display cases just as Zeitgeist unleashed another round of fire. Daring returned fire, hoping to wound the villain, but Zeitgeist had no limitations in that regard.

Zeitgeist pinned Daring down with his heavier firepower as he made his way to the door. His gun clicked empty just as the door opened. Zeitgeist slid through the threshold as Daring took aim. His gun jammed just as the door started to close. Tossing it away, Daring pushed the button next to the door, listening to motors operating the elevator. After a moment, the elevator returned, and Daring descended into darkness.

The elevator door opened into a maze of dimly lit corridors. Daring looked both ways and had no clue which way to go. He closed his eyes and listened. He could faintly hear footsteps, and Daring started to follow the sounds. It was an arduous journey following what he hoped was Zeitgeist. It was twenty minutes later that he ran into a wall literally.

His spirit was not dashed however, as he started to examine the wall in front of him. It was not long before the wall yielded its secrets to Daring. The wall opened, and Daring was surprised to find himself in the local spaceport. The crowds of people and creatures, racing to and from their flights, did not notice Daring appearing as if out of nowhere.

Zeitgeist smiled to himself. There was no logical reason that Daring could find him in these crowds. Especially since Zeitgeist had turned his jacket inside out and put on a convincing wig and facial hair. He strode up to the counter and introduced himself to the robot attendant.

Showing one of his fake ids, he said, “Please have my private shuttle ready. I’m in a hurry, please.” The robot scanned the id and processed his request. Paperwork printed out of a slot in its chest. Zeitgeist signed the appropriate areas and was escorted down to the tarmac. Zeitgeist’s eyes searched the crowds around him as the spaceport cart drove him to his destination. There was no sign of Daring. Perhaps he lost his pursuer in the crowd. Nevertheless, Zeitgeist did not let down his guard. Even when he climbed up the stairs to the waiting shuttlecraft.

It was only when he walked into the cabin of the shuttle did his blood turn cold. There waiting for him was Rick Daring.
“Sit down,” commanded Daring, waving his gun towards a nearby seat. Zeitgeist reluctantly obeyed. “Pretty disappointing, huh? I bet you thought you lost me, huh?”

“I know I did,” replied Zeitgeist.

“Perhaps you did, but I stopped a moment and thought things through. No one with your vanity is going to sit in coach. Not when you most likely own your own shuttle. It didn’t take long for port authorities to help me narrow the field, and here I am.”
Zeitgeist glanced over to the door leading to the cockpit. “Don’t worry,” continued Daring. “We have two of security’s brightest pilots flying us home. It looks to be a smooth flight.” It was not long after that the shuttle lifted off the ground.

As they made their way up through the atmosphere, Zeitgeist made a small request. “There is a bottle of Dom Perignon 2098 in my personal refrigerator. I’ve kept it for special occasions. If I’m going to prison, I might as well drink it.”

It seemed like an ordinary request, and there was a bottle matching the description in the fridge. Daring pulled it out and put it on the table next to Zeitgeist.

“Enjoy,” said Daring.

“You don’t want some?”

“I don’t drink.”

“A pity,” said Zeitgeist as his hands clasped the bottle’s neck. He swung the bottle like a bat and smashed it against the table. Gas erupted from the fake bottle. Daring was immediately overtaken by the gas. Zeitgeist covered his nose and mouth while he pulled a .22 caliber gun out of a hollow heel. Daring lay on the floor, dazed and disoriented. He heard gunshots and Zeitgeist’s large feet against the floor.

Daring reached into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a cigarette case, but inside were rows and rows of pills. Plucking a white one, he held it between two fingers and broke it open. He felt a rush of pure oxygen enter his nose, and the effects of the gas were temporarily eliminated. He stumbled into the cockpit only to find the pilots dead, and the shuttle was making a steep decline into a mountainous region.

Daring started to pull at the yoke, using all of his flight training he acquired over the years. The shuttle was sluggish in response. The fact that bullet holes littered the controls was not helping Daring’s situation. He managed to level off the shuttle, but it was not going to make it over the incoming mountains.

Daring abandoned the cockpit and found that the emergency rafts, jetpacks, and even the old fashioned parachutes were all riddled with bullets, except for one that Zeitgeist had used to escape. Daring went to the opened starboard door. He fought against the whipping wind and jumped out of the shuttle. He landed ten feet below in a pile of snow. He looked up just as the shuttle crashed into the mountains. It was then that he collapsed, either from the gas or from physical exertion.

Unaware of any of these events, the Brilliant 5 had said their goodbyes to Zoey Walker. Junior walked Zoey to her shuttle.
“You’re sure you won’t reconsider?” he asked.

“Well, if the world’s going to end in 20,000 years, the least I can do is visit my parents more often,” replied Zoey.
“Why are you going back to Earth? They don’t have anything that will get you back to this side of the galaxy.”
“Maybe I don’t want to come back.”

“Can’t you and Sara make up? It’s not good to leave on such bad terms. The two of you are the best of friends. Can getting back at Zeitgeist really be worth more than your friendship with Sara?”

“There’s nothing you can say that will change my mind,” said Zoey.

“Then take this,” said Junior, placing a small device in Zoey’s hand. “Teresa made it so we can communicate over long distances.”

“Even on Earth?”

“Even on Earth.” Zoey gave Junior a small smile and hugged him. “Thanks for everything,” she said as she walked up the ramp. Junior stood and watched as her shuttle took off.

“You should have said something,” he said as Sara walked up behind him.

“It’d only make things between us worse. She just needs to cool off.”

“This happen often?” asked Junior.

“No, but it makes me feel like her mother when she does.”

Just then, there was a hollering that neither had heard before. Old Timer was racing towards them.
“What’s the rush?” asked Junior.

“Daring’s alive! They just found near some wreck! He’s alive!” Old Timer continued to holler.
Sara’s hearts raced as she heard the news. She knew that her old friend was alive, never doubting it, but it was a relief to hear it from Old Timer nonetheless. But her happiness was hampered by Zoey’s departure. She kept thinking if she handled things differently, then maybe…

But that was the past, and she was in the here and now. Zoey was more than capable to be on her own, and Sara would see her again someday. Their friendship was stronger than this. Now was the time of celebration, of rejoicing. There would be time later for contemplation, anticipation, and absolution

Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

A Conversation: Comments on Chapter 14

Yes, Chapter 14 is mostly a talking chapter. I apologize, but there was a lot to tie up before we move on to the conclusion. The chapter also introduces a slight dilemma for our heroes. After all, what would you do with something that promises to be the ultimate source of knowledge? (Some may answer that we already have Wikipedia, but even its reliability is questionable.)

In posing this question in the form of a debate, I tried to illustrate both sides as neutrally as possible, though astute readers may guess which side I would be on. If people actually read this story, I would take great pride if this chapter does not generate controversy, just a conversation. Or even just inner thoughts, if by chance you're the solitary reader. Not that I claim my writing for higher, intellectual pursuits.

Hopefully, the cliffhanger was not too obvious. If it was, sorry, but I thought it was somewhat clever. Next week, we wrap this serial in a bow, and I give some serious thoughts on what to do next.

A Simple Gift

If you're one of those people who don't like downloading music and are still waiting for John Williams' "Air and Simple Gifts" to be released on CD, now your wait's over.

"Air and Simple Gifts" will be available in the all-encompassing Yo-Yo Ma Collection. By just buying this 90 disk collection, you will finally be able to hear the four minute song. It is limited to 200 copies, since there's only 200 people on the planet who can afford the $790 set.

If you think I'm making this up, click here.

Dealbreaker

The time for celebration of the birth of the Savior, Jesus Christ, has also been a time for great deals.

Seriously, phenomenal deals. And we capitalists aren't at all ashamed of it. In fact, we'd have to be crazy to sell you a toaster for $5.00. Lowest APR ever. Buy 1 Get 1 Free. No, my friend, you're not dreaming. It's our year-end clearance sale. Everything in America must go and fast. By January, we'll be getting tons of new junk from China and Taiwan so the old stuff's got to go.

Why pay off your mortgage when you can buy a flat screen LCD for $399.99? Credit card bills piling up? Put them off till next year after all the Christmas shopping is done. If you're already in debt, what's a little more? Living in a culture of have-nots is a strenuous, full-time occupation, and if you don't have the latest High Def Blu-Ray Big Screen Something-or-Other, then you might as well be homeless.

And just when you want to label me a hypocrite, I do admit that I like saving money, and finding the best deals. I am fortunate that my tastes aren't too expensive, and that I can afford whatever I buy. If times were tougher for me, I hope, by the grace of God, that I am wise enough to follow my own advice.

The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah – Chapter Fourteen: Intermezzo

A warm shower never felt better in Sara’s life. She toweled off her still wet hair as she left the bathroom. A new white jumpsuit was set out on her bed. She gazed out of the expansive window into the cityscape at night. She was tired and weary, yet Sara could not suppress a small smile.

Sara dressed and went to the adjoining hotel room to meet with Johnny Highpitch, Marissa Tulvak, Teresa Becker, and Lee Edwards, whose one arm was in a sling.

“You look rested, Sara,” said Marissa. Sara nodded her thanks and sat down in the chair next to Edwards.

“We have gathered here to decide the fate of the strange device we found in the temple of Khyber Gorah.”

“I believe we are calling it the Omnisphere,” said Teresa. “Obviously, we need a team of scientists to thoroughly examine what information resides within it and do the best to catalog it.”

“This is based on the assumption that the data stored in it is all true,” countered Sara. “We have no idea from where it came from.”

“We can’t fact-check something that claims to be from the future,” remarked Johnny.

“That’s why I say we destroy it,” said Sara. “It’s deadly enough in the wrong hands, but it could do even worse damage in the right hands. It’s better we not know than to act on misinformation.”

“Why are you so convinced that the Omnisphere is some kind of Trojan Horse or Pandora’s Box?” asked Teresa.
“It’s hard to say no to a fountain of knowledge,” said Johnny.

“That’s exactly it,” said Sara. “It’s a temptation. It’s simply too good to be true.”

“But it could contain valuable information of species not yet discovered,” said Marissa.

“It could,” said Sara. “But the Omnisphere is just too dangerous to keep around. Too much knowledge is just as deadly as too little knowledge. We could end up letting the Omnisphere dictate our choices.”

“I must admit that your scenario is a bit overdone,” huffed Johnny. “You’re making it sound like it’s some kind of doomsday weapon.”

“Just think of the benefits we could gain from it,” said Teresa.

“Daring told me once that there was once a great network of computers called the Internet,” said Marissa. “It was an open and free system, but there was nothing in place to regulate content, so rumors and gossip has as much validity as the facts.”
“So, even if we can’t verify the information on it, why destroy it?” asked Teresa.

“Because the Cabal knows it exists, and they’ll keep coming after it until they get it. If we destroy it, then neither of us will have it, and it may save us a great deal of bloodshed in the process,” said Sara. “There’s just too many questions and not a whole lot of answers.”

Teresa sighed. “I guess we should put it to a vote?”

Teresa and Johnny voted to keep the Omnisphere. Sara and Marissa voted to destroy it. All eyes turned to Lee Edwards.
“What say you?” asked Johnny.

“Well, this discovery would make me famous,” started Lee. “But I think that Sara’s right. When I think about this Omnisphere, I become afraid.”

“You’re just afraid of change,” said Teresa. “Think of all the medical advancements we could make. The new technology alone…”

“What about all the new weapons that could be stored on it?” asked Lee. “Those alone would cancel out whatever lives we saved otherwise. We barely have a grasp on the technology we’ve created for ourselves, much less advanced technology from the future. We’re just not ready for it.”

“Then, it’s decided,” said Sara. “Tomorrow, we will take the Omnisphere to an undisclosed location and destroy it.” Sara stopped Lee as he started to leave with the others.

“Can you get me Old Timer?” she asked.

Meanwhile, Zoey clutched her sides as she laughed. “Stop that,” she said between gasps. “That hurts.” They had just come back from an evening on the town, and both were dressed in appropriate eveningwear.

“You’re lucky Marissa’s such a good surgeon.”

“The Kevlar helped.”

“Well,” he said. “I don’t think I mentioned that during the briefing. It still needs tested, seeing how both you and Lee got shot.”

“True,” admitted Zoey. “But it did stop two of the bullets.” Junior sat down next to Zoey. They sat quietly on the balcony of her room.

“You’ve been kind of moody lately,” said Junior lately.

“Post-operation blues,” said Zoey. “Actually, it’s this whole thing with the Omnisphere. Sara wouldn’t let me get near it, and I’m convinced it has information on Zeitgeist.”

“The man who experimented on you a long time ago,” said Junior. “Are you still obsessed with him?”

“I don’t really hate him. Not anymore, I guess, but it’s like being adopted. I have these questions in my soul, and he’s the only one who can answer them.”

“What if you never find him?”

“I don’t know,” replied Zoey, suddenly becoming aware of how close they were sitting.

“Would it tear you up inside?” She felt Junior’s eyes looking deep within her.

“Maybe,” she said. His warm hand caressed her cheek. She could feel him drawing her closer until…

“Are you two lover birds in here?” came a cantankerous voice from the doorway. Old Timer came stomping through the room and out onto the balcony. “Well, there you are. What in sam hill are you to doing out here?”

Junior stood up at this. “What do you mean what are we doing out here? We’re enjoying the night atmosphere.”

Old Timer made a face, like he just swallowed something sour. “Phooey. You been to one city, ya seen ‘em all, I sez.” Old Timer turned to Zoey. “Sara was asking about ya. You okay and stuff?”

“I’m fine, thanks,” replied Zoey. “Just a little sore still.”

“That’s good to hear,” said Old Timer with a toothless smile. Old Timer nodded at Junior. “Let’s get going, squirt.”

“What?”

“Sara’s got a job for us tomorrow, and I want ya bright-eyed and bushy-tailed.” Old Timer started to push Junior back into the room.

“I can’t understand a word you say,” protested Junior.

“Ya don’t gotta. Just keep moving,” said Old Timer as he kept pushing. Zoey walked over to edge of the balcony, as the commotion moved farther and farther into the hallway. Zoey sighed when silence finally returned, almost. She heard the soft footsteps on the carpeting.

“Hello, Sara.” She said without looking.

“Feeling better?” asked Sara, not at all surprised.

“Yes, of course,” said Zoey as Sara joined her by the balcony. “It was probably your idea for Junior to help me recover.”

“They’re going to destroy the Omnisphere tomorrow,” said Sara. “I’m sorry.”

“Why am I not surprised? You always get what you want.”

“Just what would you do if you found him?” asked Sara.

“I don’t know, talk to him? You already know how bad I am with a gun. It’d just give me a sense of closure, I guess.”

“Only characters in a story get closure,” said Sara. “I never found closure.”

“So you should be like you?”

“No, but this man’s dangerous. He’s not someone you just ‘talk to.’”

“And you’re the world’s greatest negotiator. You’ll find a way. He owes me, Sara.”

“And what do you owe me? I’m the one who found you and nursed you back to health.”

“Congratulations. It took you five minutes to bring that up,” snapped Zoey. “Why can’t you respect my decisions?”

“I’m just trying to help you.”

“Wrong, you’re trying to protect me.” Zoey stalked off the balcony and out of the room.

Sara leaned against the balcony’s fencing and quietly exhaled. She pulled out of her pocket a liquid plasma hard drive. Within it was all the information on anyone with an alias of “Doctor Zeitgeist” from within the Omnisphere. She slowly closed her hand into a fist until the drive was dripping down onto the floor.

“Damn you, Zeitgeist,” she muttered.

Doctor Zeitgeist was possessed with an unearthly rage. For the first time in a long time, he felt the bitterness of defeat. Bile burned his throat as his large hands pushed everything off of his desk. It was rare for him to lose his composure, but the lost of his men and his loss of face in front of the rest of the Cabal was too much for him.

But the sight of the chessboard, untouched by his rage, calmed him immediate. What did it matter? There were other games to start, more important strategies in play. He was still untouchable.

The door creaked open and in walked his assistant, Ragdin. “You idiot,” snarled Zeitgeist. “I told you I was not to be disturbed.”

“It’s urgent,” insisted Ragdin.

“Yes?” Ragdin tossed something onto his desk. It was a pair of handcuffs. “Is this some kind of joke?”
“Put them on.”

“I’m in no mood for this,” roared Zeitgeist.

Ragdin pushed his fingers against his face until they broke the skin. He twisted his hand, making the tear larger. Soon, he grasped the tattered remains of his face and tossed it onto the desk next to the handcuffs.

“You’re under arrest for crimes against humanity,” said Rick Daring. “Put them on, or face the consequences.”

Click Here to Go To The Final Chapter

Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah – Chapter Thirteen: In Ride the Five!

“Actually, yes,” replied Sara to the question asked by her triumphant captors. She cleared her throat and spoke with utter conviction: “Do you happen to have the time?”

“Scarface” was slightly taken aback by the odd request, but hid it as best he could. “Time? What does it matter?”
“Wouldn’t you like to know the exact moment you were put to death?” countered Sara.

“I’d rather not be put to death at all,” put in Zoey.

“All right, all right,” said Scarface. “These armors don’t have watches, but you’ve been here about a day. Happy?”
“Was that so hard?” said Sara with a smile. Before Scarface could reply, Sara let out a high pitch whistle. The troopers hesitated, uncertain on what to do. The whistle awoke the sleeping snow beast. Its sharp eyes noticed all of the potential meals walking around. With the last of its strength, the creature leapt at the nearest trooper; its powerful jaws bit into flesh unprotected by cracks in the armor.

The screams of the unfortunate trooper brought the others to his rescue, firing at the snow creature. During the chaos, Sara, Zoey, and Lee made a break for it, hiding behind the large altar.
“Now what?” asked Zoey.

“Relax,” said Sara as she rummaged through her backpack. “Everything’s going according to plan.” She pulled out a flare gun and fired it out of the opening in the ceiling. Unfortunately, the flare also attracted the attention of the troopers. It was not long before they had guns jammed in their face again.

“Some plan,” remarked Zoey.

“Wait for it,” said Sara. The ground started to tremble. The troopers looked temporally disoriented, but there was full-blown confusion when a flying saucer crashed through the ceiling of the temple. Four people repelled down from an opening in the saucer.

“YEEHAW!” came a familiar voice.

“Is that…?” asked Zoey.

“Yer dern tootin’ it is,” replied Sara with a smile.

“Looks like you guys needed a helping hand,” came Junior’s voice in their receivers. “Luckily, I found out that we had been followed and while I was waiting for your signal, I made a few calls.”

Junior did not need to elaborate that it was his fellow members of the Brilliant 5 that had answered his call. The four teammates cut through the squad of off-balanced troopers with relative easy. They fired electrical beams that temporally stunned people by scrambling their nervous system.

“Marissa!” shouted Sara. “We have a wounded over here!”

“Sara! Zoey!” came Old Timer’s voice. “Long time no see.” Marissa bent over Lee and quickly applied a bandage to his wound.

“We saw you earlier,” said Johnny Highpitch. “You were pitch perfect.”

“You’re a wonderful teacher, Johnny,” admitted Sara to the music maestro.

“Thanks for field testing my equipment,” said Teresa Becker, joining the others.

“You mean, none of this was ever used?” asked Sara.

“No, didn’t Junior tell you?”

“I’ve dressed his wounds as best I can, but we need to get him back as soon as possible,” said Marissa.
“We sure got these rattlers on the run,” said Old Timer, firing at the last of the troopers.

“We need their leader,” said Sara. “Did any of you see where he went to? Did you, Zoey?” There was no reply. “Where’s Zoey?”
Scarface was making his way towards the lower level, when Zoey tackled him to the ground. His gun fell from his hand and into the foot-deep layer of snow. He turned to see Zoey pointing a gun at him.

“Who are you working for?” asked Zoey. Scarface didn’t say anything. He just glanced at where his gun had fallen. “Not so talky when I’m not handcuffed, huh?”

“Listen, doll, why don’t you put the gun down before you hurt yourself?”

“I want a name. Right now.” Something flashed in her eyes, and Scarface knew she meant it. “I’m exactly where I swore I’d never be anymore: getting shot at by self-obsessed people like yourself. Now, tell me who you’re working for.”
“I don’t know his real name,” said Scarface at last. “But he’s known as Doctor Zeitgeist.”

“What?” Zoey couldn’t hide the surprise in her voice. In her moment of shock, Scarface made a dash for his gun. His fingers wrapped themselves around the gun, and he spun around, emptying three bullets into Zoey’s chest.

A sadistic grin crawled over his face, as he watched Zoey clutch her chest. Before finishing her off, he took one step backwards. It was the last thing he ever did. For behind him, partially hidden in the snow, was the shaft that Zoey had previously climbed up.

Zoey collapsed into the snow. Her breathing was ragged, and pain engulfed her chest. She could hear footsteps crunching the snow, but everything around her seemed to fade away…

Click Here to Go To The Next Chapter

Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah – Chapter Twelve: Rude Awakenings

“We’ve been inside the sphere the whole time,” said Zoey. “Well, not literally. The computer within the sphere is sending electrical pulses to stimulate our brains, creating images and sensations much like a dream.”

“Weren’t you able to sense the computer, like you do most data?”

“That’s what’s so creepy, Sara. It’s so complex, this computer, that it’s almost human.”

“Then, what’s its purpose?” asked Sara. “Is there a way to ask it?”

“The A.I. seems damaged. Otherwise, it’s not very responsive.” Zoey looked up to the floating face. “Pull up system preferences.” Several windows appeared before Zoey. “Good news is it looks like it’s all in English. Bad news is I still can’t make out half the words.” Zoey flipped between the different windows. “It sustained a small amount of damage since its crash, and over time, age has been slowly eating away at the memory circuits.”

“So, it’s actually a lot like a human,” remarked Sara.

“Obviously, the A.I. was one of the first components to lose quality. Just skimming through the hard drive, there seems to be a just a ton of information in all sorts of formats.”

“Can you find out what has the most current time stamp on it?”

“As far as I can tell, it’s a movie file,” said Zoey. “It’s dated 2000 years into the future.”

“Play it.” Everything turned dark as the movie expanded and surrounded them.

A human face appeared, shrouded in shadows. “This message is for any who comes across this ark of human knowledge. The Earth has finally been destroyed through folly and pettiness. I have gathered all known knowledge of our race, so that you may learn from us and prevent the mistakes we made.” The screen erupted in static.

“The rest of the message seems to have been lost,” said Zoey as their surroundings returned to white. “Can this really be from the future?”

“If it was jettison into space, it could have been sucked into a wormhole or a black hole. Or…”

“Or what, Sara?”

“Or it is a time machine.”

“More like a time capsule. Like those old Voyager satellites they’d send out into space. What if it really does have the accumulated knowledge of the human race?”

“Then, we can’t let the Cabal get their hands on it.”

“Wait a minute,” said Zoey. “They’d have to have information on Zeitgeist.”

“This isn’t the time for personal vendettas,” remarked Sara. “I thought you were over him.”

“He’s just the person who experimented on me all those years ago. I can finally know more about him than just an alias.”

“No,” replied Sara. “This is forbidden information. We can’t risk learning about the future. I’m sorry, Zoey.” Sara closed her eyes and pushed the picture out in her mind. She soon felt the bite of the cold and heaviness of her many layers of clothing.
Sara opened her real eyes to find that stood exactly where they had been when Zoey had touched the Omnisphere. Quickly, Sara jerked Zoey away from the sphere. Zoey slowly came to, disoriented at first.

“You had no right,” she started, but her voice trailed off. “Where’s Lee?” Before Sara could respond, three armored men took them by surprised. In between the cracks in their white armor was a thick thermal material. Smooth helmets hid their faces. With guns thrust into their faces, Sara and Zoey were led back down to the altar room, where several more troops were waiting.

Lee was on his hands and feet, clutching his bleeding shoulder. The troopers shoved the women down next to him. “Well, well,” came a voice in their receivers. “Look who we ran into.” Zoey felt a chill run up her spine as she instantly recognized the voice belonging to none other than “Scarface.”

“Thanks for leading us straight to the sphere.” Came his gleeful voice.

“They snuck up on me,” said Lee. “I tried to fight them off, but they were too much for me.”

“It’s all right,” said Sara. To her captors, she asked, “What are you going to do with us?”

“I toyed with the idea of leaving you in one of the various traps set in this temple,” said Scarface. “But then, you’d escape. It’s your talents of getting out of trouble that made my boss pick you in the first place.” He snapped his fingers, and the troopers lined up behind their captives. “So, I thought a bullet to the back of the head would work just as well.”

The troopers, as one, took aim at Sara, Zoey, and Lee.

“Any last requests?”

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

Way Out West: Comments on Chapter Eleven

One of the ideas I had for Sara and Zoey were for them to get mysteriously transported to the old West. There, our heroines would try and blend in, Zoey'd get framed for a murder, and Sara would save her from a lynch mob. Sounds fun, I know, but as a half developed idea, I saw the chance to use it during this serial. Unfortunately, using the whole story would take too long and distract from the main storyline. So, in the end, it's a very abbreviated version, a casual hop into another genre to throw readers off for a little bit. Maybe, someday, I'll have a chance to revisit the idea, but chances are...

Next week, we get back to the story proper, and the origins of the Omnisphere. Probably be a good thing to bring back some antagonists, too. Things get a little boring without some conflict...

The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah – Chapter Eleven: Sunset Software

Sara watched helplessly as the scruffy cowboy Rufus taunted Zoey into putting on the gun belt. His rough voice slowly counted to three. Just before he got to three, Sara dug her heel into the foot of the man holding her. She swung around and punched him firmly in the jaw, sending into a number of other cowboys. She kicked a chair; it slid right into Rufus. His gun was already out of the holster, but his aim went high, thanks to Sara’s intervention.

Even this moderate amount of provocation was enough for a bar fight to erupt. Sara took a swig from the class of milk she had before smashing it down onto one cowboy’s head as he started to draw his gun. The sheriff, attracted by the commotion, had just entered the saloon and was trying his best to stop the fighting.

Amid the chaos, Sara grabbed Zoey and together they found a rear exit out of the bar. As they scrambled out of the bar, Sara said, “Take that thing off right now!”

“Okay, okay,” said Zoey, removing the gun belt. “I know what you’re going to say, but, well, things just out of hand. One thing led to another…”

“You could have gotten yourself killed,” said Sara as she climbed one of the horses.

“I get it already,” replied Zoey following suit. They rode out of town in a hurry. Soon, they found themselves surrounded by rock croppings, each distinct and worn down by time. The sun was starting to dip behind one of these unique formations. They continued until Sara felt they were far enough from the town.

As they came to a stop, Zoey dismounted the horse. “So, what’s the plan?”

“Make camp for the night. In the morning, try and find another town.” Sara sighed. “I just wish I could understand what happened to us.”

“Well, like you always say, we can worry about that tomorrow.” The two women stood a moment and watched the descending sun. While both held trepidations about their current predicament, they put them aside to watch what they spent so little time to admire.

“What is that?” asked Sara. She pointed to the sunset as it shuddered and blurred. Digital artifacting and aliasing sped around them, literally eating away the ground they stood on. Slowly, the picturesque scene was gone, leaving the two women in a void of whiteness.

“That was unexpected,” quipped Zoey.

“There went the west,” said Sara. “Where are we?”

“May I be of assistance?” came a booming voice. Out of the white void came two teal-tinted eyes and a large mouth. They hung there before the two women as a surreal face. “You can search by category or just say the subject you’re interested in.”

“Who are you?” asked Sara.

“Question too broad. Please specify.”

“Where are we?”

“Location subjective. Unable to reply.”

Sara turned to Zoey. “This is getting us nowhere.”

“No,” said Zoey. “You’re just not asking the right question.” Addressing the face, Zoey asked, “What is your primary function?”
The face replied, “I am the user interface, allowing easy search through our 65 million terabytes of information. You can search by category or just say the subject you’re interested in.”

“Sara,” said Zoey. “I have a bad feeling about where we are.”

“And that is…?”

“That whole Wild West scenario was the most convincing virtual reality I’ve ever seen.”

“If it’s all a digital environment, how did we get here?”

“Remember when I touched the large sphere, you grabbed my arm. There was some kind of spark from the sphere. I think it went through both of us.”

“You’re saying we’re dead?”

“No, but I think it somehow connected our minds to the giant computer within that sphere. Maybe the electrical charge rode through our neural passageways to the part of the brain that controls dreams.”

Sara took a moment to digest this. “Instead of goggles or headsets, the sphere is using our mind’s eye to display its information.”

“Something like that, possibly,” replied Zoey. “That would make it the most sophisticated computer that ever existed.”
“True, but it’s been hidden away in the temple for centuries, at least. Who made it?”

“Let’s ask it.”

“Hold it, Zoey. Then all this time…?”

“We never went anywhere. We’ve been inside the sphere the whole time.”

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

"Gomen Na"

I apologize for the lack of a chapter this week, but a lousy cold has been keeping me down these last couple days. I appreciate your patience, and prepare for the next chapter this Sunday.

Clone Wars on DVD

If you've been following my blog, and there's a good chance you're not, then you'd know I've been watching the new animated Star Wars series. While it may not be considered groundbreaking, most of the episodes are good, and a few are even great. Now, the first season is on dvd, and color me impressed.

First of all, the case is designed to be a book. The 4 dvds are encased on the inside of the front and back cover. Inbetween are 68 pages of sketches from the design team. (Old Timers out there may remember when dvds first came out and they all had booklets to make you feel like it was worth moving over to dvd.)

Along with that, each episode is now presented in a wider aspect ratio, offering more picture and a more theatrical look. A few of the episodes are extended, "director's cut." There is a short featurette for each episode, delving into the thought process behind that episode. The only problem is I haven't seen (or heard) any thing about the voice actors in the series or the music. (Yet. I haven't watched all the featurettes.)

Overall, there's a lot for a set that runs for only $30. I'm impressed by the effort Lucasfilm put into this release. If only Lucas had put that much effort into the prequels...

The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah – Chapter Ten: Wild, Wild West

Zoey couldn’t believe the heat beating down on her. Just moments earlier, she had been worried about freezing to death under several layers of clothing. Sara grabbed a hold of her arm and jerked her close to a large boulder.

“What’s the idea?” asked Zoey. Sara said nothing as the stagecoach ran straight past them. Sara pointed to its undercarriage. There was a man working his way between the coach’s spinning wheels. As he reaches the end of the coach, he gracefully pulled himself up onto the back of the coach. Sara and Zoey watched as he climbed across the roof and snatched the reins from the dead driver.

After stopping the stagecoach, he climbed off and introduced himself to Sara and Zoey. This daredevil wore shirt with fringes and a white hat on his head. There was a gun on his right hip, but its handle was pointed forward, indicating that he was left-handed. “The name’s Whitaker,” he drawled. “But everyone calls me Buddy.”

“That was pretty impressive. You ever do that before?” asked Zoey.

“Sure. All the time. You not from around here?”

“That’s an understatement,” said Zoey.

“We’d appreciate it if you gave us a ride to town,” said Sara.

“Of course, ma’am,” said Whitaker. He helped them into the coach. The women introduced themselves to the two other passengers, Mr. and Mrs. Williams from back east. As Whitaker started them on their way, Sara and Zoey conferred with each other.

“Okay, so this looks pretty convincing,” said Zoey.

“But we’ve been fooled before,” replied Sara.

“So, time travel?”

“If that were the case, why were our jackets not transferred also? Or any of our clothes for that matter?”

“Wormhole?”

“I’d certainly remember traveling in a tunnel of unstable spacetime,” remarked Sara.

“Instant matter transportation? No, those always give me a headache.”

“Virtual reality?” asked Sara.

“Pretty realistic if it was,” replied Zoey. “Hallucination?”

“Shared hallucinations are pretty rare.”

“A dream?”

“Which one of us is dreaming?”

“So, not a dream, not a hoax. What is it?”

Mr. and Mrs. Williams looked at each other. Neither had a clue what the two women were talking about.

The stagecoach soon arrived the small town of Patterson Valley. Whitaker helped them off the stage. The two women still had no clue as to their current predicament.

“Let’s head over to the saloon to mull things over,” said Sara.

“Great. I’m sure we’ll stay out of trouble there,” remarked Zoey. The saloon was as loud and bustling as any western movie Zoey had ever seen. Sara led her to the bar and told her, “Stay here while order something to drink. Keep to yourself, and they won’t bother you.”

Zoey tried to do just that, when someone shouted, “Hey!” Zoey ignored it at first, but it continued. “Hey, woman!” Zoey turned and saw the voice was coming from a particularly scruffy-looking cowboy. “Wha’cha doing here?”

“Excuse me?” asked Zoey, indignantly. “I have every right to be as you.”

“Naw, I mean why ain’t ya on the stage, enterainin’ us men.” This was met with guffaws from his friends.
“I’m not here for your entertainment,” shot back Zoey.

“Yer a real firecracker,” replied Rufus, the cowboy. “How about you prove it?”

Sara was returning with a glass of milk and a bottle of sarsaparilla. She saw the man taunting Zoey, but before she could do anything, one of the cowboys grabbed her to make sure she didn’t interrupt their fun.

“Sure,” said Zoey. “What did you have in mind?”

“You’re big talk. I reckon you can’t handle a gun like me,” said Rufus.

“Try me.” Rufus tossed her a spare gun belt. Zoey caught and started to put it on. It was at this time that Zoey started to think about the situation she had just gotten herself into. Sure, she had mouthed off to the rude cowboy, but she knew next to nothing about guns, and now she let him talk her into his challenge.

The other cowboys cleared away from the two of them, circling them as to make sure not to miss anything. “Let’s see who’s got the better draw, little girl?” said Rufus. “Count of three.”

“One.” Zoey could see Sara behind the cowboy, still held by one of his minions.

“Two.” Rufus flashed an uneven row of teeth under unruly whiskers.

“Three.” There was a loud gunshot that reverberated the saloon.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah – Chapter Nine: The Omnisphere

Zoey Walker could feel herself falling but there was little that she could do to stop it. She watched as fragments from the bridge danced around her, sharing her fate. She reached out, trying to grab anything that might slow her decent. To her surprise, her hand grabbed onto the left slope. Zoey gritted her teeth as the rocks bit into her fingers.

Fortunately, a small outcrop of rocks was large enough to support her weight and stop her decent. For a moment, Zoey didn’t know what to think. She just held onto the rock face with all her might and said a small prayer. When she got her breath back, she slowly took a look around. The two sides of the chasm tapered inwardly, allowing Zoey her chance to grab onto the wall.
“Sara!” shouted Zoey. “Sara!” There was no response.

Zoey started to become aware of the coldness around her. She was far away from the heaters up on the surface and was beginning to feel the sub-zero temperature even through her multiple layers of clothing. She quickly put on all of her equipment. She then looked at her right hand, the same hand that had initially slowed her descent. Her fingers had only minor cuts, but the glove was ripped up and would not give her hand proper protection. She shoved her exposed hand into her jacket.

Gaining a little confidence in her precarious predicament, Zoey started to sidle across the edge of the wall, hoping to find a way back up. While this did not look like a promising prospect, she did find a large pipe sticking out of the wall. Cautiously lowering herself, Zoey planted her feet on top of the pipe. Slowly, she walked across to the end of the pipe. She lowered herself into the pipe. The pipe itself was large enough for her to fit into as long as she remained on her hands and knees.

Zoey had no idea where the pipe went to, but wherever it was, it had to be better than where she was now. The pipe sloped upwards but luckily there was only snow and no ice lining the pipe. After what felt like twenty minutes later, the pipe ended at a long shaft that was at least twice as tall as Zoey was. Pushing her back against the shaft, Zoey used her legs to push her way up the shaft. Her large boots gave her a firm grip against the stony surface of the shaft.

“Ow!” said Zoey as her head unexpectedly hit something. The shaft had ended abruptly, something which Zoey couldn’t see in the pitch black darkness of the shaft. Zoey carefully examined the ceiling with her free hand. She could feel her legs start to tire as she felt what seemed to be a small hinge. Her right hand, still safe within her thick coat, removed a hidden section of her specialized belt. Junior gave her this belt which contained a small piece of explosive material, just enough to unhinge most doors.

She pushed the explosive out of the top of her coat and patiently set it up on the hinge. She then slid down the shaft and waited for it to blow. Surprisingly, the explosion was quiet. The lid came falling down, followed by a pile of snow. With her way unblocked, Zoey slowly climbed back up the shaft. As she pulled herself out of the hole, she thought she hear some voices. She briefly saw two figures enter a door behind a large altar covered in ice.

She looked back down at the hole she had just climbed out of. It must have been a trapdoor at one time. She quietly walked by the sleeping creature and followed the elusive figures into the next room. There, Lee and Sara stood at the top of the stairs, unaware of the falling panel of spikes, but Zoey, still at the bottom of the stairs, could see the shaft above their head.
“Look out!” shouted Zoey. Sara reacted instantly, pushing Lee and herself against the wall, letting the panel of spikes landed harmlessly in the middle of where they were standing.

“Zoey! You’re alive!” said Sara as Zoey made her way up the stairs. “Thanks for saving us.”

“It’s all in a day’s work, right?” replied Zoey.

“How did you get back up here?” asked Sara.

“Time for that later,” said Lee, as he managed to open the next door. “Whatever it is we came here for, it should be in the next room.”

Lee was not wrong in his assumption. There, in the middle of the room, was a large sphere, twice as tall as a human. Its surface was smooth with an oily texture to it. It was the only object not covered in ice or snow. The reason became apparent as they approached the alien object.

“It’s radiating heat,” said Lee.

“But what is it?” asked Zoey turning to Sara.

“I’m not sure,” replied Sara. “But don’t go near it.”

“It’s amazing,” said Lee. “There’s no seams, joints, or hinges. It’s one solid object.”

Zoey heard something neither of the others could. It was there, a mere whisper, familiar to her like a forgotten song. Her enhanced mind latched onto something underneath the surface of this mysterious sphere.

“It’s a computer,” said Zoey. “I don’t know what it’s for, but it’s some kind of computer.” Without thinking about it, Zoey reached out to the sphere, focusing on its strange music.

“Don’t!” said Sara, grabbing Zoey by the arm as Zoey’s fingers brushed the surface of the sphere. There was a blinding light and a rush of warmth greeting them.

Sara and Zoey opened their eyes, only to find themselves lying on the ground. As they slowly got up, they realized that all of their winter gear was gone. This was not so much bad news since they were now in the middle of a desert.

“What happened to us?” asked Zoey.

“You touched the sphere,” said Sara.

“How was I going to know that it’d do this to us?”

“Plenty of time to worry later,” said Sara. “We need to find some civilization.”

“How about that?” asked Zoey, pointing at a stagecoach coming towards them.

“Works for me.” They started to wave and shout at it.

It continued coming towards them, but showed no signs of slowing. “What’s wrong with them?” asked Zoey.

Sara didn’t have time to respond as the stagecoach barreled straight towards them. Little did they know that the driver was dead.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

Rin-Ne

The Anime/Manga scene and I have been leading a pretty estranged relationship of late. Besides picking up the latest volume of "Blade of the Immortal," there isn't much reason for me to peruse the manga section at my local Borders. By chance, I noticed "Rin-Ne" by Rumiko Takahashi. Takahashi, in my humble opinion, is the greatest Japanese writer since Murasaki Shikibu.

She's responsible for hit classics like "Inuyasha," "Ranma 1/2," and "Maison Ikkoku," but my favorite will always be "Urusei Yatsura." "Rin-Ne" is her latest series, started in 2009. While the first paperback was just published, readers can go online to read translated chapters as they're published in Japan, simply by visiting here.

The story involves Sakura Mamiya, a girl who can see ghosts, who meets a strange classmate, Rinne Rokudo, a half-human, half shinigami, who leads spirits to a floating Wheel of Reincarnation. Now, while the whole school girl mets half-man, half-something else sounds familiar, it does distinguish itself from past series. The first eight chapters (which make up volume one) delve into the two main characters. The humor aspects are toned down (for now) with only Rinne's abject poverty and the introduction of Rokumon in the later chapters as running gags.

All in all, it's a very promising series, but what else can you expect from Rumiko Takahashi. I'm just glad there's something I can look forward to something again in the manga section...


(Except "Blade of the Immortal," of course.)

The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah – Chapter Eight: Starving Hysteria

“Zoey!” Sara struggled as Lee held her back. She watched as the frail form disappeared into the darkness below.

“There’s nothing we could do,” said Lee. “And without the bridge, we can’t go back.” He slowly released her. “We can only keep moving forward.”

Sara sank to her knees. “Please give me a moment.” Neither said anything for a moment; they quietly secured their winter clothing before entering the next room. The merciless cold assaulted them as Lee opened the door.

The room was an inclining set of stairs that disappeared around the bend. Lee was about to enter the room when Sara said, “Wait.”

She brushed aside the snow covering the stairs. “There’s a mechanism here, probably a trap.”

“It’d work too,” added Lee. “If it weren’t for the ice covering the wall.” He pointed to small holes in the wall, barely visible beneath the sheen of the ice.

“Just watch your step,” said Sara.

The stairs led to a large, expansive room. There was an opening on the top of the roof; snow gently trickling down. Towards the middle of the room was a large altar surrounded by some ritual statues, all covered by a thin sheet of ice.

“This must have been their main meeting area,” said Lee. “They must held meetings or even worshipped in this very room.” As he said this, the very floor beneath him shifted as his weight pushed down on it. Sara grabbed Lee before he fell, and they both watched the circular slab stop at a perpendicular angle to the floor. Warmth and light radiated from beneath the floor. Sara and Lee peered down to see a seething river of lava flowing in the catacombs beneath the temple.
“Or maybe they sacrificed people here,” added Sara dryly.

Lee walked up to the altar. “If only I had time to study all this. Just think of what we could learn about these people.”
“I just want to find this item and get off this damn planet,” said Sara, not bothering to hide her weariness. Lee pointed to something behind her. Sara turned slowly to see another white creature, similar to the one that attacked Zoey earlier. White fur had camouflaged it within the piles of snow.

Lee started to take off his backpack. “I probably have a…”

“Can’t you see?” cut off Sara. “It’s no threat to us.” She started to make a low-pitched whistle. It eerily resonated throughout the large chamber. Sara slowed walked towards the creature, while continuing to whistle. The creature did not move; its eyes followed Sara as she got closer. When she was close enough to touch it, the creature laid down in the snow. Sara ran her gloved hand along its side, feeling its prominent rib cages and shallow breathing.

Sara continued her strange medley as Lee summoned the courage to get closer to the creature. Eventually, the creature, once fierce and terrifying, closed its eyes, and Sara stopped whistling.

“What did you do?” asked Lee.

“It was half-starved and suffering from hypothermia. The best thing for it was to just let it sleep,” said Sara. She absently rubbed its head. She sighed inwardly.

“Let’s get going. If we don’t find this item and a way back to your camp, we’ll end up just like that poor creature.” Lee didn’t have a reply for Sara. He wordlessly chipped off the ice on the turning mechanism for the door to the next room. The door eventually yielded to them, revealing a room of stairs similar to the one they had just exited.

The stairs were identical to the previous ones, right down to the trigger switch and the iced holes in the wall. They proceeded silently to the top of the stairs, where, unfortunately, one of them stepped on a second one. They looked around to see some half-frozen booby trap in action, but nothing happened.

Neither of them looked up to see the large shaft above their heads or the wall of spikes falling down upon their heads.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

Comments on Chapter Seven

So, how do you like the "artwork" for the new series?

For the Daring serial, I made everything black and white and used Poster Edge to give the pictures a "drawn" look to them. This was, of course, to make them resemble the illustrations found in yon ol' pulp mags.

Now, we sprung ahead into the age of color! The pictures are treated to give them a painterly look to them. Besides looking stylish, it helps cover up my clumsy alterations to the pictures.

I haven't done the math, but I'm hoping the new serial will have more illustrations than the previous one. Pictures are nice, because they help break up the monotony of words and actual content.

The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah – Chapter Seven: The Deep Divide

The two women said nothing as the stranger approached them.

“It’s all right now,” he said. “It’s dead.” He was referring to the large creature that lay dead before them. He slung his rifle over his back.

“You have us at a disadvantage, I’m afraid,” said Sara.

“My name is Lee Edwards,” said the stranger. “You are the troubleshooter that I was expecting, right?”

“Of course,” replied Sara, before Zoey could say anything.

“I must admit that I was only expecting one of you.”

“This is my assistant,” said Sara. “Given the hostile environment, I thought the extra pair of hands would come in handy.”

“I guess,” said Lee. “And you are?”

“This is Zoey and I’m called Sara.”

“Nice to meet you,” said Zoey weakly.

“It’s a miracle your friend survived that attack. Let’s get her to a warmer area.”

Edwards led the way as Sara and Zoey followed. On a private channel, Zoey asked, “So, now what?”

“It looks like our mysterious opponent is still one step ahead of us. But we are in the right place, I’m sure of it now. Keep on your toes.”

The ground rumbled under their feet; Zoey clasped at Sara to maintain her balance. “What was that?” Sara asked Edwards.
“The sun’s gone,” he replied. “The planet’s orbit is decaying. Any moment, it could collide with another planet or an asteroid field.”

Lee led them through the snow until they reached a large mountainous region at the end of the forest. Built on top of the incline was the temple of Khyber Gorah. The temple was massive and stretched upward, covering a great deal of the mountain. Unfortunately, snow and ice covered most of the temple, which time had started to eat at its stone walls. It looked more like a castle than a temple to Zoey.

As they approached it, Zoey could make out the large doors, easily three times their size. A small crack was left open between the two doors, just enough for them to squeeze in.

Immediately, the heat hit them full on. Lee had set up a number of heaters plugged into a portable generator. Sara and Zoey removed their jacket and face coverings as they looked around. The small antechamber within the doors had a flight of stairs that led to another door; this one was smaller and shut tight.

“It’s taken a long time just to thaw out this much,” said Lee as he sat by the fire he had set up in the middle of the room. Sara and Zoey joined him, enjoying the sudden change of temperature. Lee removed his jacket to reveal a face covered in dirt and a week old stubble. He was only a couple years older than Zoey, but he looked much older. “I know that you may be put off by my name, but there’s nothing to worry about.”

“What do you mean by that?” asked Sara.

“I assumed you knew about the allegations against my father, Paul Edwards.”

“Who was he?” asked Zoey.

“Dr Edwards worked with a group of scientists, who were terrorized by one of their own,” said Sara. “That man named himself The Spectre and wanted to use the device they were creating to seek revenge those who had wronged him.”
Lee could not cover the surprise look on his face. “How did you know that?”

“I happened to meet your father shortly before his death,” said Sara. “Richard and I were helping him in exposing the Spectre.”
“By Richard, you mean Rick Daring?” asked Lee. Sara nodded. “Then, you know that my father was innocent.”
“Of what charges?” asked Zoey.

“After the whole incident, the media claimed that my father had assisted the Spectre in his deeds and was partial to blame for everything. Of course, they never gave any solid proof to back their claim, but then again, they didn’t need to. Everyone believed them.”

“Couldn’t you give them any evidence to prove otherwise?” asked Zoey.

“They wouldn’t listen. So, after I finished my bachelors, I took this job when no one else would, to prove that we Edwards are a reputable bunch.”

“I’m afraid this could be more serious than just your good name,” said Sara gravely. “My friend was just kidnapped by members of an organization called the Cabal, the same people who created the Spectre debacle. They hoped to force me to help you uncover whatever remains in this temple. We’re dealing with manipulation on a grand scale.”

“And you think that they also smeared my father’s name in order to get me to come here?” Sara nodded. Lee thought this over and eventually shook his head. “It doesn’t matter. I’m here now, and I have a job to do.”

“That’s the spirit,” said Sara.

“I can’t believe it,” said Zoey. “We’re on a dying planet due to the manipulations of a secret society, and you’re telling me that things could be worse.”

“Well,” said Sara. “They could.”

“If I may interrupt,” said Lee. He took them to the door leading inward. He turned the large round mechanism in the door, and it slid open. Sara could hear gears grinding within the walls. The next room was built into the mountain, where a natural chasm separated them from continuing onward. Withering rope bridges had long ago fallen apart, leaving no way across except for one. A select number of heaters lined the room, keeping the temperature at a decent level.

“I’ve just finished a new bridge across,” explained Lee. “They used this in case invaders ever broke into the first section of the temple. They’d just cut the bridges and separate themselves from their attackers.” He indicated a new bridge crossing the chasm.

The three of them climbed onto the new bridge, feeling rather sound under their feet. “You did this all by yourself?” asked Zoey.

“No,” said Lee. “I came with four androids, but they’ve all broken down because of the cold.”

“Is it bottomless?” asked Zoey of the crevice.

“I really don’t want to find out,” replied Lee.

The ground rumbled again, this time much more aggressive.

“It’s getting worse,” said Lee needlessly. They held onto the railings helplessly as the shaking continued. The artificial bridge was not holding up as well as they were. They could hear the structure creaking and cracking.

“Move it!” yelled Sara as they started to run across the bridge. Lee was the first to make it to the other side, followed by Sara. Zoey was not so lucky as the bridge fell apart under her feet, and she was sent spiraling into the darkness of the pit below.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah – Chapter Six: Eternal Winter

Doctor Zeitgeist sat at his imposing desk, sipping from the coffee brought in by his servant, Ragdin. His phone rang as he expected it to. He turned on the speaker.

“Well?”

“No good, boss.” It was “Scarface,” his chief lieutenant. “I tried to nab the girl back by tampering with the security system, but it encased them in glass, and I couldn’t get to them before the police arrived.”

“I’m very disappointed,” said Zeitgeist. “But the game still goes in our favor. She may unwittingly do my bidding without any persuasion. Follow and observe from a distance. No more interference unless they deviate from the plan.”

“As you command.”

The line went dead.

“Sara? Sara?”

Sara’s eyes slowly opened at the sound of her name. Strong hands helped her to her feet.
“Take it easy. It’ll take awhile for the gas to wear off.” The young man wore a shirt and tie with a leather jacket over top. His face was covered by his unruly hair and a 5 O’ Clock shadow. His name was Maximilian Sebastian Orwell Maddock, but he was known as…

“Junior?”

“So, you remember me, Sara?”

“It hasn’t been that long, has it?”

“It’s been long enough, I dare say,” replied Junior.

“How’s the gang doing? Are they…?”

“I’m afraid that we haven’t done much together,” said Junior. “Not since Daring disappeared.”

“No sign of him, then?”

“I don’t understand how he could just disappear like that. If something happened to him…”

“I haven’t stopped looking,” said Sara. “We will find him.”

“What happened to Daring?” asked Zoey as she struggled to her feet.

“He disappeared about a year ago,” said Junior. He gave Zoey a warm hug. “It’s good to see you again, Zoey.”

“You never visit,” replied Zoey. “You’re almost as bad as Sara.”

“My apologies,” said Junior. “But something always comes up at the last minute.”

“And no clues about Daring?” asked Zoey to Sara.

“None. No note. No ransom. None even claiming credit.”

“Why not refresh yourselves and then we can talk about why you came here in the first place?”

An hour later, Sara, Zoey, and Junior were sitting in front of a computer terminal.

“Khyber Gorah?” asked Junior as he typed in the entry. “The most relevant search topic is a very old one. According to legends, there was a Temple of Khyber Gorah. Monks of some kind inhabited the place, trying to expand their bodies and minds. It’s said that something fell from the sky into the temple, and so after, the monks exhibited talents beyond their capabilities.”

“What became of the monks?” asked Sara.

“It doesn’t say,” replied Junior. “Sometime after their ‘enlightenment,’ they dispersed throughout the stars, creating different sects. The mysterious object, if it exists at all, was locked away in the temple, guarded by untold booby traps.”
“Where is the temple located?” asked Sara.

“That’s the thing I can’t figure,” said Junior. “You said that the Cabal might be interested in it. The thing is the sun in that solar system went supernova one year ago. The planet, which luckily survived, is uninhabitable. Without a sun, the planet would make our arctic regions look like a summer getaway.”

“But you could take us there, couldn’t you?” asked Sara.

“Well,,,”

“No problem, right?” asked Zoey. “Nothing’s impossible for a member of the Brilliant 5.”

Junior sighed.

Junior led them into a storage room. “Well, if you’re so gung ho about going to visit a dead planet, then you’d better dress the part.” He pulled a large box off one of the shelves. “Luckily, Teresa designed a whole bunch of gear from extreme weather.”
He spread them out on the table before them. “You’ll need to wear at least three layers of this heavy thermal fabric. All of your body parts must be covered, or the cold will freeze it right off. There’s also a matching balaclava to cover your head.” He held up a pair of goggles. “These are for your eyes. Double reinforced.”

Junior then picked up a small box, no bigger than the palm of his hand. “Since there is no longer a sun, not only will it be cold but virtually no light as well.” He opened the box to reveal a pair of dark contact lenses. “These are designed to absorb as much light as possible to maximize your visibility. They’re also the last line of defense against the cold in case something happens to your goggles.”

Junior also gave them two devices that fit snuggly on their throat. “Communicating will be a lot easier with these. They pick up the vibrations in your vocal cords and transmit them to your earpieces. Any questions?”

“When do we leave?” asked Sara, who wasted no time in helping Junior pack the flying saucer with supplies. Whether their mission bothered Sara at all, no one could tell, but Zoey was fearful of this bleak place they sought but kept brave for Sara’s sake. Sara offered for Zoey to say behind, but Zoey declined.

“You need someone to keep you out of trouble,” replied Zoey.

The trip itself was rather uneventful. The Brilliant 5’s flying saucer was a technological wonder and a smooth ride as well. The only turbulence they experienced was when they entered the dead system. The two women started to put on their survival gear as the saucer neared the planet. After they had put on their multiple layers of protection, Junior double checked each of them to make sure they didn’t miss anything and then helped them with their cumbersome backpacks,

“Remember,” said Junior. “Nothing came be exposed to the cold.” He lowered the saucer through the planet’s atmosphere. “I’ll keep a low orbit and if I don’t hear from you in twenty four hours, I’ll came back.”

“If you don’t hear from us in twenty four hours,” said Sara, trying out her new throat mike. “Then, it’ll be too late.”

Junior landed the saucer in a clearing. “I found a faint power source about a mile north of here, in the woods.”

“Thanks, Junior,” said Sara and walked down the ramp.

“Well,” said both Zoey and Junior. He held out his hand, but Zoey pulled him into a full hug.

“Take care,” was all Junior could think to say as Zoey walked down the ramp.

Even bundled up, the two women could feel the sharp wind cut them to the bone. The sky was dark; without a sun, it was an eternal night. A thick layer of snow covered the ground and the surrounding dead trees. The air was thin, like in high-altitude areas. They silently trudged through the snow until a bloodcurdling howl echoed through the forest.
Zoey stopped in her tracks. “What was that?”

“Just the wind.” Sara’s voice came from the small transceiver in Zoey’s ear. “Nothing could survive in this weather.”
“There’s animals that live in the Antarctic,” replied Zoey.

“Good point. Let’s keep moving.”

They kept moving as fast they could, but they were moving into the wind. The cold burned their face despite the layers of protection. Suddenly, Sara grabbed Zoey’s arm and pushed them both to the ground. A large animal flew over them. It looked like a mountain lion covered in white fur. While still formidable, it was evident that the creature had not eaten in a while and planned on having the two women for dinner.

“When I say ‘Run…’” started Sara and turned to see Zoey had already taken off. Sara sighed inwardly and followed her. The creature wasted no time in going after its mobile meal. Sara and Zoey weaved in-between trees in the hopes of losing the creature, but it was unshakeable. The thick snow did nothing but slow them down.

Inevitably, the creature caught up with them. It leapt, using its powerful leg muscles, and pounced onto Zoey. She fell face first into the snow. The creature’s large jaws ripped into her backpack. It would only be a few moments before its sharp teeth would find Zoey’s tender flesh. Sara looked on, powerless to stop it.

A crack of thunder echoed the dead forest, followed by several more. The creature lurched forward and fell, dead. Sara helped a weary Zoey to her feet.

They watched a stranger, wearing similar survival clothes, emerged from the darkness. He held a high-powered rifle, wrapped in strips of cloth.

“I’ve been expecting you,” came his voice through their transmitters.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

Swing And A Miss!

The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah – Chapter Five: The Unexpected Ally

Sara ducked for cover as the gunfire went over her head. She was surprised to find the gunfire was actually coming from behind her. There was an electrical charge in the air as the armored men appeared out of thin air.

“Optical camouflage,” said Sara, unimpressed. “Let me guess. Federal funded paramilitary?” A pair of soldiers plucked her off the floor as if she was nothing but stray litter. The other four soldiers fanned out; the roar of their oversized automatics echoed throughout the warehouse.

“You have to stop this,” said Sara as one soldier stripped her of her vest. “We need them alive.”

“My men will get all information they need when they strip the hard drives,” said the leader. “I have to adhere to my platform of no tolerance. I am a man of my word.”

“The Attorney General, I presume?”

“Surely, you didn’t think we were the police?” replied the Attorney General. He removed his helmet to reveal a long, dark face with a shaved head.

“No,” replied Sara, not missing a beat. “The police aren’t this well funded. Unfortunately, I’m not in the mood for interdepartmental politics. My friend has been kidnapped, and I am certain these people can lead me to her.”

“I’ve been informed of your current situation, and I know you by reputation,” replied the Attorney General. “I, however, cannot let a civilian get in the way of my investigation.”

“Don’t you mean extermination?” asked Sara sharply. “Your men could have a harder time tying their shoelaces than taking out these criminals.”

“Extermination is exactly the right word for it. Criminals are a disease I can no longer tolerate in my city.”

“That sounds nice as a sound clip, but does killing the patient constitute a cure?”

“You misunderstand my metaphor. Society is my patient. These lowlifes are carriers that must be exterminated so that the disease does not spread.”

“I wish it were that simple, but I had experiences with these ‘lowlifes’ too. Some people run out of luck and are forced to do things they’re not proud of.”

“Everyone has a choice,” replied the Attorney General.

“It’s easy for you to say that. Let me guess: rich family, never had to work too hard for anything. Am I getting close?”

“This conversation’s beginning to bore me.” He turned to his second-in-command. “Put her in a holding cell until I’m done with the press.”

“Wait,” said one of the other soldiers. “One of them is trying to escape.” He leveled his rifle to the person climbing out of a window. Sara rammed her shoulder into him, knocking the rifle out of his hands. She struggled to take it from him, when another soldier brought the butt of their weapon down onto Sara’s skull.

Sara awoke hours later in an isolation cell. A guard came and brought her to an interrogation room. The Attorney General was already there, waiting for her.

“Please sit,” he said and Sara complied. “I could bring you up on charges of interfering with my investigation. Sadly, you still seem to have some friends in important positions, just enough to make this more of a hassle than I have time for.”

“So, then why are you here talking to me?” asked Sara.

“Have you ever heard of Khyber Gorah?”

“Who is Khyber Gorah?”

“The name came up in a number of encrypted files we recovered. It seems to be more of a where and less of a who.” The Attorney General looked Sara straight in the eyes. “It seems to be a little out of my jurisdiction, but perhaps you know someone who’d like to look into for us.”

“So, now I’m useful to you,” said Sara.

“Not at all. I just want you out off my planet.”

“That’s the second person who’s said that to me. I must be very popular. But make no mistake, I don’t approve of your methods.”

“Then, you’d be in the minority. People want their streets clean. They don’t care how.”

“The ends never justify the means.”

“We’ll see.”

The Attorney General’s last words echoed in Sara’s mind as she got out of the taxi. She was reluctant to let him have the last word, but her priority was to find Zoey and not to get caught up in the usual political nonsense. There were no messages at the front desk, and Sara rode the elevator up in silence. She unlocked the door with a swipe of her card key and paused at the threshold.

She could hear the sound of the television, even though she knew she had turned it off. She slipped into her room and quietly closed the door. Sara’s mind raced, trying to figure out who was in the next room. Surely, an intruder would not sit down and start watching television? She started to glance around for a possible weapon, but then stopped. She’d face this, like any problem, with her wits.

She walked into the room and without hesitation, said, “I hope you can explain yourself.”

“Hey, Sara,” replied Zoey, lounging on the coach. “Long time, no see.”

“Zoey!” Sara hugged her old friend as Zoey was getting up off the couch. “What are you doing here? I thought you were kidnapped.”

“Oh, I was,” said Zoey. “But I got bored and decided to leave.” She told Sara about the fire alarm and her attempt to escape.
“You faked fainting?” asked Sara. “Didn’t that hurt your feminine pride?”

“That and the twenty spot I gave the concierge to keep a secret that your ‘niece’ had come for a surprise visit. But I figured an ambulance would be the safest way to leave.”

“And how did you know where to find me?”

“That’s easy. You always stay here, whenever you can. I just had to discreetly ask about you.”

“Can you recognize any of your abductors?”

“I don’t know who the big cheese was, but the guy who was guarding me had a large scar on his face. I think he was called ‘Anton.’ There were two other thugs but I never saw them again.”

“Well, I might be able to shed some light on that.” Sara related her own near-abduction and the recent sting at the Cabel secret headquarters.

“So,” said Zoey. “I was basically going to be their leverage to get you to do their bidding.”

“Very likely, but what did they want me to do?” Sara pursed her lips as she thought. “Does the name Khyber Gorah mean anything to you?”

“Should it?”

“The Attorney General was generous enough to pass that nugget of information onto me.”

“To what end?” asked Zoey.

“So, I can do his dirty work for him.”

“And are we?”

“Not exactly. I need to find out who’s behind all this and make sure that they never come after you or me again.”

“But, Sara, where are we going to find out who this Khyber Gorah was?”

“In the greatest archive of accumulated knowledge,” replied Sara.

“You’re kidding me,” said Zoey as they walked the streets at night. “They have one of these here?” She was referring to the towering building that was just one of many branches of the Institute of the Brilliant 5.
“Of course,” said Sara as they strolled up to the gate.

“They look closed,” said Zoey, not impressed.

“Yes, they are,” replied Sara. “But being on good terms with the Brilliant 5, I have a security code that allows me 24 hour access to any facility.”

Unbeknownst to them, unseen hands were tampering with the wiring of the security system.
“Error, error,” squealed the computer system.

“What’s going on?” asked Zoey.

“I don’t know,” replied Sara. “I haven’t even put in the code yet.”

From underneath them, a glass dome encased the two women. “Error,” stated the computer. “Intruders. Subdue.”

“I don’t like the sound of that,” said Zoey. Her comment was followed by the hiss of gas.

“Cover your mouth,” said Sara, gasping for air. The two women struggled in vain, for there was nowhere they could go to escape from the gas that now surrounded them.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah – Chapter Four: Facing The Enemy

Sara struggled to right herself as the screeching sounds of the train’s brakes awoke her from her dazed reverie. Upon doing this, her hand touched the cold metal of the long forgotten pistol lying on the floor of the smashed car.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Sara grabbed it and fired the gun rapidly, emptying it into the car door’s window. The glass cracked but did not break. The train sounded like it was right on top of them. Sara used her feet to repeatedly kick at the damaged glass, until it finally yielded. First, Sara pushed out the unconscious attacker out of the window before exiting herself. Seconds later, the train, unable to stop in time, plod through the damaged car.

Hours later, Sara sat in the police station’s waiting room. Her injuries, though minor, were already tended by the paramedics who had arrived at the scene of the wreck. She sat silently, engrossed by her inward thoughts and worries. Detective Daniel Russell entered the waiting room. The years of detective work wore heavily on his face. He, like Sara, had seen more than his share of death and despair.

“Did she talk?” asked Sara, not even turning around to face him as he approached her.

“Her name’s Cynthia Rogers. Various aliases. A number of violations and felons. But kidnapping’s not her game.”
“She’s just hired help. Who’s she working for?” asked Sara.

“Wouldn’t say.”

“Let me talk to her.”

“I can’t. You’re a private citizen now. I could lose my job if I did.”

Sara sighed inwardly. “I understand,” she said at last. “It’s just that they have my friend hostage.”

“Look, you’ve been through a lot,” said Russell. “Go rest up. If there’s any news, I might be able to pass it along to you.”

Sara stood up and gave him a small bow. “Thanks.”

“Don’t thank me yet. I can’t make any promises.”

Sara awoke to the sound of the phone ringing. She was sprawled out on the hotel room bed. She must have crashed there soon after arriving back at her hotel room. She had being running mostly on adrenaline since the accident, and it soon caught up with her. She stumbled with the phone as she cleared her mind of any fatigue.

“Yes?” she said.

“Sara?” It was Russell. “I haven’t much time. She finally broke and gave out the name of a local hideout. We’re getting a warrant right now, so I figure you’ve got about an hour before we get there. Unless of course the Attorney General gets wind of it, that is.”

“Why’s that?”

“He’s been running on a strict no-crime policy, and I mean strict.”

“I’ll keep that in mind,” said Sara as she scribbled down the address he gave her.

“One more thing, Sara.”

“Yes?”

“We’re even now.”

The line went dead.

Sara drove her car up to the disheveled warehouse that matched Russell’s address. A tall chain fence circled the building. She pulled the car into a shaded alleyway. After cutting the engines, she got out of the car and opened the trunk. She removed the thin carpeting to reveal a secret compartment underneath. From the compartment, Sara pulled out a tan utility vest; its pockets stuffed with tools and gadgets. She put it on and then replaced the compartment. Sara made sure the car was secure before approaching the fence.

Sara walked along the fence until finding a nice dark area away from the nearest streetlight. After satisfying herself that the fence was not electrified, Sara pulled out a pair of clippers and started making a small hole in the fence. Once she squeezed through the hole, she ran for cover behind the large dumpster. From her hiding spot, Sara watched a guard walk by, an automatic rifle subtly hidden underneath his jacket.



After he was gone, Sara climbed up onto the dumpster and jumped across onto the fire escape. Her jump was not quite high enough, and she had to clasp onto the metal railing to stop herself from falling. She pulled herself up onto the fire escape just as the guard came around the corner again. She stood in silence as he walked by beneath her.

Once he was gone again, Sara turned her attention to the door, locked as expected. Sara took out a pair of lockpicks and slowly started to work at the lock. After painstaking work, the lock finally yielded and Sara gained entrance to the building. Once inside, Sara took a look around. She was on the upper level of the warehouse, but it looked like everyone was on ground level. The criminal’s layout was quite extensive. It looked as though they had set up a large laboratory within the confines of the warehouse.

But Sara’s main concern was for Zoey’s safety. Her eyes darted about, searching for any clue as to where they were holding her friend. Determined to get a closer look, Sara went looking for the stairs leading downward. She went down them as quietly as she could. Ducking behind some crates, Sara continued to spy on the busy criminals. She did not want to be here when the police or the Attorney General raided the building, but Sara was unsure where, or even if, Zoey was here. Unfortunately, her decision would soon be made for her.

“Who the hell are you?” came from behind her. Sara spun around, her fist slammed into his face. He was unconscious before he hit the ground. Unfortunately, this was enough to bring her to the attention of the other dozen of heavy armed criminals, none of which were the least bit hesitant to point their guns at an unarmed woman.

Sara raised her arms in surrender. “I don’t suppose you’d want to talk about this?” Sara paused, glancing behind her. She could have sworn she heard something. “Well, you might as well get this over with.”

Gunfire echoed throughout the vast warehouse.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.

The Forbidden Temple of Khyber Gorah – Chapter Three: Hotel Mayhem

Hours later, the criminal dubbed “Scarface” by Zoey sat down in his posh hotel room to talk with Doctor Zeitgeist over a secure line via the secret transmitter in a false bottom of his briefcase.

“Pretty smooth thinking, boss,” said Scarface. “Nobody would look for a kidnapper in a five star hotel.”

“Focus, Anton,” spoke Zeitgeist. “Have Rogers and Lynch reported in yet?”

“No, not yet. But what’s one broad going to do that they can’t handle?”

“Don’t underestimate her. It’s her ingenuity that I need. If she didn’t give the two of them any trouble, then I’d have no need for her at all.”

“But we got her friend hostage. She don’t dare do nothing,” replied Scarface.

“Yes, that’s why I’m counting on you to keep her in check,” said Zeitgeist. “And watch those double negatives.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And you made sure you weren’t followed?”

“Yes. We drugged the girl and rolled her out in the large luggage trunk. We could have rolled it right by Sara, and she would have been none the wiser.”

“See that she stays that way.”

Zoey rolled her eyes as the two schemers continued their discussion. She was more worried that they were making no effort in disguising their identities or intents. “That means,” Zoey muttered to herself. “That I need to get out of here before I’m no longer useful to them.” Not that she could go far with her hands handcuffed behind the bed’s headboard. Scarface had only undone the cuffs twice since she woke up here. Once to let her use the bathroom and other to eat a modest lunch.

Zoey was surprised they weren’t starving her, but perhaps they were going to continue to move around, and for that, they needed Zoey to have her strength. Zoey closed her weary eyes and went over her options. What little she had, that is. There was no way for her to get free of the handcuffs, unless they released her. But then what? Make a run for it? Zoey didn’t even know where she was, much less where help could be found. She tried a simple breathing exercise in order to calm herself. She could feel her enhanced mind reach out to the surrounding net of electronic data.

She was jolted out of her reverie when a large hand clasped onto her shoulder. Her heart quickened with fear as Scarface looked down at her. “Still a little drugged up, huh, girly?” he asked with a wolf’s grin. “Don’t go anywhere.” He went out onto the balcony and started lighting a cigarette.

Zoey closed her eyes again, trying to still the panic within her. Blocking out the familiar stench of tobacco, Zoey returned to her mind’s eye with the flow of data all around her. She couldn’t find anything useful in the room around her, so she let her consciousness expand outward. Frustration welled up inside of her as her options looked bleak. Then, she noticed the fire alarm system.

The alarm had a traditional pull lever action, but it also featured a sensor measuring the temperature around it. If Zoey could mimic the signal, she could trigger the alarm, allowing her a small chance to escape. After a few moments of struggling, she was rewarded with the rattling sound of the hotel’s fire alarm.

Opening her eyes, Zoey saw Scarface toss away his cigarette. “What the hell?” he shouted.

“Oh my God,” said Zoey trying to sound genuinely scared. “That’s the fire alarm. I just know it is! We got to get out of here!”
“There’s no fire,” said Scarface. “Where’s the smoke?”

“Do I look like I want to find out? We’re like on the twentieth floor!” Zoey played up the “damsel in distress” act in the hopes that Scarface would buy into her ruse. “Get me out of here! I don’t want to be chained to a bed in a burning building!”

Scarface hesitated and then undid the cuffs, only to quickly snap them on her other wrist after untangling them from the bed. “No trouble, okay, lady?” He showed her the holster under his coat. “Any funny business and it’ll be all over.”

“Can we just leave already?” said Zoey, wondering if she was overdoing it now. “I don’t want to die.”

“You’re just lucky my boss agrees with that,” replied Scarface as he opened the door. The hallway was considerably vacant, considering the current situation. Zoey was hoping for more of a crowd that she could slip away in. “This way, to the elevator.”

“Are you crazy? During a fire?” replied Zoey, carefully taking two steps backwards.

“I said there was no fire. It’s probably some nut who set it…” His voice trailed off, and Zoey watched his beady eyes narrow to slits. Zoey took a deep breath and went into action. She slammed her elbow into his face and then kicked him in the stomach, sending him to the ground. Zoey, then, made a break for the stairs on the other end of the hallway.

Scarface had the wind knocked out of him, but that didn’t stop him from reaching for his gun. Unfortunately, he had to hastily tuck it back into his jacket as a pair of bewildered tourists came out of their room. He pulled himself up and went after Zoey who had already made it to the stairwell.

By the time he reached the door and peered down the stairwell, Zoey was already half-running, half-falling down three flights of stairs. Scarface cursed to himself and went back to the elevator to cut her off at the lobby.

Meanwhile, as Zoey neared the bottom, she slowed down, flushed from the exercise. Slowly, she tried to regain her breath as she opened the door to the third floor. And ran into a strange man covered in a white padded suit.

“Are you okay?” came the man’s muffled voice. She couldn’t see anything but his blue eyes from a thin slit in the suit. “Did you see any fire?” Zoey tried to respond to the firefighter but nothing came out between her gasps of air. She took a step forward before collapsing into the confused man’s arms.

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Written by J M Emmons. The story and all characters are copyrighted by J M Emmons.