Cartlidge: Rise of the Imperfect Flame (2 page)

“Dude, do
ya
realize how hard it
is to protect
ya
when
ya
go
around, left and right, this way and that way, into every group of thugs and
muggers
ya
find?” The tall, longhaired man joked.

“What are you talking about, Ivan? Who are these guys?”

“We can’t talk here. It’s too open. C’mon.”

“I’m not moving until you tell me what’s happening. Who are
these guys?” I repeated.

“They’re the guys who know what’s happening to your arms and
legs.” Ivan replied. I paused a moment to look at my hands. They glowed with a
bright purple aura, and my arms were the same hue. They almost seemed transparent.
One of the figures searched the street for witnesses. After a moment he nodded
to the other hooded figure. The man walked towards me, so much that I was
forced to take a few steps backwards. He stood half a meter higher than me and
turned away and removed both his mask and hood. When he turned back around I
froze in shock and horror. The man looked hardly like a man at all. He stared
down at me with blackened vertical
slitted
pupils,
like that of a cat hunting its prey in the night. His mouth sported a variety
of sharp molars and menacing canines. There was no nose between his mouth and
his eyes. Instead there was a small bump with two nasal openings that acted as
a nose. His skin was the color and texture of dried leather, and his hair was a
sleek black, as if it had been covered with oils. On top of his head were five
large horns, dulled down to fit under the hood.
The root of
the center horn extended down the middle of his forehead in a “V” shape.
The man removed one of his gloves to reveal a four-fingered hand, which began
to glow just like my own arms, but with a bright crimson hue. He turned away
and placed his mask and hood back on.

“Evidence enough?”
Ivan chimed in.

“What are you?!” I blurted out.

“You need to come with us. Your actions have put you at
risk.” The man, or whatever he was, replied. His Gaia was slightly strained. It
almost seemed like a second language to him.

“At risk of what?”

“We spend too much time here.” The third man hissed. His
Gaia was terrible.

“Ivan he needs to come with us.” The first man completely
ignored me as he spoke.

“I need this to go well for my test.”

“Not now!”
Hissed the third man.

“
C
,mon
Jacob. We need to go.” The third man was already gone and the first had moved
around the corner and was waiting for us.

“I don’t know. I’m still not sure what’s going on.”

The first man swore impatiently and returned to us. He
handed me a small device that looked like a touchscreen computer. Everything on
the device was completely encrypted in a strange language.

“Um, I don’t-”

“Right.”
The man took the device
away, pressed on the screen a few times, then handed it back to me. On the
device was a small message.

BRIN,

Your request to be admitted into the Elite’s trial has been
granted. After completing various physical trials, you will be sent to Earth
with two undercover agents to keep watch and protect the son of one of our
greatest diplomats, Mr. Cartlidge. You will spend four Earth years monitoring
and safeguarding the target individual and his property. He is currently
entering
The
adult stage of his life and if he shows
any signs of kingship, you are to bring him immediately to us. He may become a
potential target for Clawtrodon strike teams. He is to know of your mission
only if it is paramount to the success of the mission.

Angels be with you,

High King and Council Member
Lekvaknev

“I never knew my father.”

“He was a good man. He prevented an invasion of Earth thirty
years ago.”

“Now will
ya
come?” Ivan insisted.

I paused to think for a moment, before I agreed. We moved
rapidly on a snaking path through the city. After about twenty minutes of
running, followed by another thirty sitting silently in the moving car, we
reached a circular opening in the middle of the woods. We stopped just short of
the circle and Brin reached for his device. He then spoke unintelligibly into
the device. Another voice replied. The ground began to shake violently. The
earth opened its hidden maw at the center of the circle and a gigantic craft
rose up.

By the time the craft had fully surfaced it looked like the
size of half a football field. The dull grey ship was entirely symmetrical in
design and color, except for a large red vertical streak of paint on the right
side. At the center of its bow was a large viewing window for the pilots and
captain. This section was surrounded on both sides by large, triangular shaped
engines. Wings protruded further from the center after that. Two dorsal fins
rose upwards like mountains. The underside of the beast revealed a third
triangular piece with a cargo ramp that acted as the main entrance to the ship.
The tail of the ship was a single large square wing that extended over the edge
of both sides. I stood in awe at the metal behemoth.

Ivan stood in awe. “I haven’t seen a Rovanekren freighter in
years!” He laughed. “Well Jacob this is where I leave you.”

“Wait! Ivan, you’re not coming?”

“Nah.
I work best undercover here.”

“ But
… I still don’t know what's
going on! Who are these people?!”

“Well Jacob,
ya
know all those
people who try an’ convince people that aliens exist? They’re right.” There was
a moment of uncomfortable silence. “You see, these guys are called
Roovenikrens
.”

“Rovanekrens” Brin interrupted. “Row-Van- Eek-
Rens
”

“Stop
tryin
’ to change my accent!”
Ivan snapped.

“Say it properly and I will not have to.”

“Anyways, they’re
fightin
’ these
guys called Clawtrodons. Thirty years ago your dad worked as a diplomat. He
helped renew the treaty we have with
em
’ to avoid
fightin
’ over Earth. Some of
em
’
weren’t too happy about that. So, the Rovanekren council has always kept a
group of guards on Earth for you and your ma.”

“Since you have shown potential as a king, we’re going to
bring you to the council.” Brin interrupted again.

“But what’s a King?”

“Kings are Rovanekrens, or hybrids like you, who have the
ability to control the energy around them.” He formed a red sphere in his hand,
then
allowed it to fly freely before it dissipated in
the air. As it flew, it created a strange musical tune, like the soft sound of
a harp.

“Since your father was Rovanekren and your mother is human,
you were born with traits from both species. You are one of the rare hybrid
Kings.”

I stood there stunned for a moment. This new information was
difficult to grasp. First, I learned there were aliens; then, I learned my
father was an alien, now apparently I was one too.

“You will understand over time. I am sure this is a lot to
take in.” Ivan continued.

“What if I refuse?”

“Then you can deal with the mess of murder and assault you
behind left in New York City.”

I thought hard. If I went, I would be leaving everything I
knew behind. If I stayed, I would likely be arrested for the murder of that
drunkard. Considering how quickly the woman fled, it was likely that she
wouldn’t testify on my behalf. The survivors of the fight that followed after
were surely going to testify against me. In truth, I only had one option.

“I’ll come.”

With this choice, poor Jacob’s life was about to take a turn
that no human or alien would ever expect.

After we said our goodbyes to Ivan, we boarded the ship. The
ship was filled with complete darkness, giving the notion that it had been
hidden away for quite some time. I had to be led by hand through the ship so
that I would not fall. I still tripped on several objects as we walked. I was
released upon reaching the bridge, causing me to fumble in the dark. A faint
humming came from all sides as the engine started. Blinding light flooded the
ship. My strange new companions sat in two of the other four chairs and began
to work on reviving the ship. A Third Rovanekren sat in the center. I assumed
that this was his ship. Before I could ask why he kept the ship so dark Brin
turned to me and pointed at the chair anchored to the floor next to me.

“You are going to want to sit down and put those belts on.”
I quickly sat down and put them on. The ship began to shake then lifted off the
ground rapidly like a balloon escaping its captor and rocketed forward into the
sky. I was glued to the chair by gravity. My ears popped as we ascended. Pain
filled my stomach. My vision began to darken and I passed out as we broke free
of the atmosphere.

I did not wake until we had already landed. Brin was undoing
the harnesses on my chair. I smelled something foul. Apparently I had vomited
during the trip.

“Welcome to New Rov, home planet of the Rovanekrens.”

“Why is it New?”

“Our old planet was destroyed by the Clawtrodons billions of
years ago.”

“Clawtrodons?”
I stood up. “Ivan
said something about those back on Earth.” Brin pulled up an image on his
device. The Clawtrodon was bipedal creature with its exoskeleton open around
the joints. It had flat feet, like those of an
elephant,
its hands held three claw-like fingers. A pair of long pincers extended from
its jawline and covered the area of its mouth. Like the Rovanekrens, it had no
nose, tanned skin, and sleek black hair. It also had five eyes: two below the
brow, two in place of the cheek bones, and one in the center of the forehead.
They truly were hideous.

“You can learn more about them
later,
first I have to introduce you to the council.”

I exited the ship to find myself in a large hangar. I was
immediately fascinated with everything I saw. Rovanekrens walked left and
right, carrying metallic crates, or strange parts. The walls were lined with
stacks of equipment held up by netting. Pumps and hydraulic stands rose out of
what I thought was a seamless metal floor to catch an incoming fighter jet. The
ceiling was covered in rails designed to slingshot smaller jets upon launch.

We continued further to the outside. New Rov looked like
something out of a movie. Car-like pods flew rapidly over glass roads. The
sidewalks seemed like concrete, but sparkled like fresh fallen snow in the noon
sun. Skyscrapers were everywhere. Not a single scrap of litter could be seen. I
felt as if I had stepped into a beautiful golden-age version of New York. One
major difference, however, was the massive ships that dotted the sky.

We took one of the pods to a large building at the center of
the city. The massive structure towered over the skyscrapers around it, shining
in the sunlight like an icicle in the morning light. The crown of the structure
was solid glass, while the rest of the building seemed metallic. Dozens of
small aircraft flew in and out of the structure. We soon joined the flow of
vehicles and entered the tower. As we did, several escorts appeared, leading us
past the long line of visitors, into the building itself. We then traveled past
countless doors, hallways, and guard checkpoints. They took their security very
seriously. Brin and I continued down a hallway towards a set of double doors.
He put his hand against the door to stop me before we entered.

“Be polite. The council here is the highest form of
government you’ll ever see.”

“Got it.”

“Also they’ve been under a large amount of stress recently,
so try not to piss them off.”

With that, Brin opened the door and ushered me in. The council
room was built in the shape of an oval, with a large podium at its center with
about thirty chairs and desks surrounding it. The chairs, and their owners,
were separated into three distinct sections. The center section, the one we
would be directly facing, was filled with eight high kings and queens. One
chair, the very center chair, remained curiously ownerless. The room itself was
lit by the large glass dome, which was segmented into eight sections by large
darkened beams. The center of the dome was another oval, with its center
hollowed out for another glass piece. The dome was likely bulletproof, since
the people it shields decide the fates of many
everyday
.
Many a person would fear and hate that kind of power, and would do their best
to destroy it.

As we walked towards the center the officials all stood for
a moment, spoke something, then sat back down. I felt like some sort of
criminal, waiting for the judges to hand me my sentence. A moment of silence
ensued, broken shortly after by one of the kings who spoke in Rovanekren. There
was another pause.

“Your lordship, could we perhaps conduct
this meeting in Gaia?”
He gestured towards me. “My friend here does not
know our language yet.”

“Very well.
So Brin, your report
states the outcome of your mission.”

“Yes, your lordship. You sent us to guard Mr. Cartlidge here
and-”

“We’ve all read the report Brin. What we don’t know is why
you brought him to us.” A queen interrupted.

Brin cleared his throat. “Well, my team and I have
discovered that Jacob Cartlidge here, whom you may remember as the son of Mr.
Cartlidge, has shown capability as a king.”

“Kingship you say?” One of the officials asked before
addressing one of the queens.

“Your ladyship, is this even possible for a human?”

“It is uncommon, but if a human has Rovanekren blood within
them, they can attain power equal to your average purebred Rovanekren. Mr.
Jacob Cartlidge is nowhere near the first one of his generation. However, I
don’t understand how Jacob could show power if his father never showed an
inkling of power in his lifetime.”

Another king jumped into the conversation. “It could’ve
skipped a generation. There have been cases when a king or queen’s descendant showed
power when the parents did not.”

As the conversation died down, the first king turned the
focus back to us. “Brin, What color did Jacob reveal?”

“Purple, your lordship.”
He
replied. Everyone paused.

“Purple? Are you sure?”

“I am sure.” Silence ensued.

I could remain silent no longer.

“What’s wrong with purple?” The council looked upon me like
an animal who had just spoken.

“Well, Jacob, I take that you don’t know how our powers
work?” The king asked.

“N-no… your lordship.”

“Our powers are given to us from birth, but of the few who
are born with it, even fewer can unlock it, and fewer still can control it. The
power itself is the capability to control the energy around us and within us.
This energy is then visible in several different colors, depending on the
individual. Some are tuned to lower level wavelengths of energies, like Brin
here. Brin’s power is red, a common, yet powerful, spectrum. The strength of
the energy lowers the further you go into the light spectrum, then increases
again once you hit blue-green. Purple is the strongest, but it is also the
hardest to control.”

“Why?”

“The wavelength is the shortest, so the energy of purple is
the most volatile.”

I raised my hand and looked at it. Twenty years of life and
I never knew about this hidden ability. Out of curiosity I willed the power to
return. A warm feeling filled my forearm, but nothing else revealed itself.

“It only happens in times of serious stress if you’re not
trained.” One of the queens laughed.

“Oh.”

“If you remember, your lordship,” Brin continued, “one
specific requirement of my mission was to bring him to you if he showed signs
of Rovanekren characteristics.”

“That is correct.” The first King pressed few buttons and a
holographic screen appeared before every official in the room. “If you will all
look at your screens, you will see two documents. The first is the mission
specifications for Brin. Like he has stated, his mission was to safeguard this
young human for
a duration
of time. Since this human
has shown potential for kingship, Brin has brought him to us. The reason behind
both this action and Brin’s mission is in the second document. This one is the
last wishes of Jacob’s father. There is a statement here that comes into effect
in this circumstance.”

He cleared his throat. “‘If Jacob shows potential
characteristics of kingship, his escort is to reveal themselves as soon as it
is safe to do so. They shall bring Jacob to New Rov where he will receive his
inheritance. This inheritance will fund training for Jacob in any field he
wishes and the rest will then go directly into his pocket.’ Well Jacob, it
seems your father has paid for all the supplies needed for you to enter just
about any field someone like you can enter.”

It felt like I was entering college again. This time
however, I was in a world that was completely new to me. I had no clue what
jobs were available to me. I was a simple wildcat amongst a pack of wolves.

“What kind of fields are there?”

“We will provide ample information for you to choose from.
In the meantime you will be sent to an apartment until this time tomorrow. You
are dismissed.”

I gave a nod of understanding and turned to leave. Brin
remained behind and another Rovanekren introduced himself as my new guide.

“Now then, Brin.
Let’s discuss your
advancement.” The door was shut behind me, ending my part in the conversation.

I was brought to a rather well kept room which was filled
with food and drinks entirely foreign to me. After my guide explained what
everything was, he left. I was given a small touchscreen device full of ideas
for a field I could enter into. “Human Agent” was one of
the
my
choices. I clicked on the term and read the explanation. The
exclusively human group worked as undercover agents on earth or as spokesmen in
human Rovanekren interactions. Another read “Singer.” A third read “Admiral.”
Something was odd about the list. Either the list was in order in Rovanekren
and changed when put into Gaia, or the list was entirely random. I scrolled to
the bottom. The last two on the list caught my eye. The first was a “Human
Diplomat.” Rovanekren diplomats are known have trouble working with anyone not
of their species compared to humans. My father was supposedly one of the best.
I paused for a moment and thought perhaps I could follow in his footsteps. I
looked at the second option, “Warrior.” I succumbed to the lure of the word.
Clicking on it revealed a variety of descriptions and other sources of
information. The sources ranged from recruitment videos, to weapon designs, to vehicles,
to historical accounts of some of the greatest warrior Kings and Queens. I
read, watched, and examined everything I could. I became like a child,
enthralled by the dream of an adventurer. I looked at one more
image
. It was a comparison of sword designs. Rovanekren
military technology included bladed weapons, which were designed to emit
powerful streams of
energy, that
would heat the blade
enough to cut through nearly any material that did not operate on the same
level of energy itself. Kings and Queens were the main operators of such
technology. I gazed upon the image, transfixed on the idea of modern swordplay.
I loved the idea of swordplay. Fighting in such a way seemed both more skillful
and more meaningful to me. I finished eating my strange dinner and went to
retire for the day. I had made my decision.