Story of K: An Infinite Golden Light (Sci Fi Action) (Space Fiction) (Robot Fiction) (5 page)
Read Story of K: An Infinite Golden Light (Sci Fi Action) (Space Fiction) (Robot Fiction) Online
Authors: Belart Wright
This one goes to my mom, one of the most beautiful and
peaceful souls that I know and to my granny who started it all and provided us
all with strength. I’d also like to thank my big cousin Maurice, my Uncle
Shane, Aunt Elaine and my nephew Aric who helped make my childhood more than
awesome in spite of all the tragedy that followed. And to my grandfather,
may you forever rest in peace.
Hi everyone! I’m Belart Wright and I hail from
Michigan, the land of super hot summers and bitter cold winters. I
typically wear or carry a hoodie whatever the weather so that I’m prepared for
anything. I have experienced days that started like winter, felt like
summer by noon, and ended like a storm on the high seas. But enough about
the weather, this isn’t just small talk!
I’m a huge gamer. My favorite game series of all time
is The Legacy of Kain Series, with Soul Reaver 2 being my favorite in the series.
My current gaming rotation consists of Borderlands 2, Dark Souls, Virtua
Fighter Final Showdown, Resident Evil 6, and Dragon Ball Xenoverse. You
can find me on Xbox Live at kidNihilnom IV.
I’m a huge book lover too, though I don’t read nearly as much
as I should. You can find my current book list over at
Goodreads
.
My favorite so far this year belongs to Alex McKechnie’s
Exurbia
. My
favorite series so far this year belongs to Christina McMullen’s
Eyes of the Sun
series.
My days consist of working, working some more, and writing.
If I have any time left over it’s used for hanging out with family and friends,
gaming, reading, or exercising.
You can find me blogging about gaming, books, and life at
http://belartscorner.blogspot.com/
.
If you want to chat about anything (and I’m not too busy)
then you can reach me over at Google+:
https://plus.google.com/+BelartWright/posts
or any of my other social media profiles like Twitter:
https://twitter.com/BelartWright
.
I’d also like to plug the awesome efforts of my brothers
over at
FlubberKnuckle Games
.
They’re making some really cool games right now. One’s a unique card game
called Flip’d that can be played here
http://www.flubberknuckle.com/wordpress/flipz/flipzdemo.html
.
Not only is the game a digital production, but we’ve also crafted a physical
card game as well that can be found at
https://www.thegamecrafter.com/games/flipd
.
Average Joe and the Extraordinaires
The day was hot and the crowd rowdy and rambunctious.
Everyone was getting riled up for today’s statewide collegiate football match
where the state favorites, the Sunshine City Fowlers, would take on the
underdogs, the Orangetown Pickers. Joe and his girlfriend Kate, along
with her little brother, Mod, had predicted a bloodbath today between the two
rival teams and their rabid fans. Too bad for now the line had stalled.
Joe: “This line is way too long.”
The three teens were here to support their hometown team,
the Pickers. Joe and Kate were set on going to Orangetown
University. Neither had even considered the alternatives. Joe
himself didn't have any bright prospects when it came to choosing his college,
but Kate on the other hand had many schools to choose from. In the end
she chose with her heart and decided to stay with Joe.
The line had finally started to move, but everyone was still
pretty antsy. The game was set to start in only thirty minutes. As
always the red-haired siblings couldn’t help but fuss at one another. Mod
stopped arguing with his sister just long enough to lean over to Joe.
Mod: “Hey, Joe, I brought some game boosters.”
Mod smiled a devilish smile that lasted longer than it
should. He pulled off his backpack, took out a bright red insulated
cooler bag, opened it, and showed its contents to his shocked sister and Joe.
Kate: “How did you get that?”
Kate looked at her fourteen year old brother with alarmed blue
eyes. His smile still hadn’t faded as he stared her down with his green eyes,
so she knew he had something planned. She waited for his explanation of some
half-brained scheme.
Mod: “The
how
is unimportant, dear sister, at least
when it comes to the
where
. A different
how
should be
asked.”
Mod smiled over towards where Joe was absentmindedly
standing, and repeated himself a bit louder after delivering an elbow to Joe’s
side. Joe snapped to attention and responded.
Joe: “As in
how
we’re going to get it in there with
all that security.”
Mod: “And the answer to that, my dear sister, is you.”
Kate: “Why do I feel as if this is going to make me feel so
stupid?”
The crowd started to move forward faster, the group’s shady
acts cleverly hidden from the security staff. No one could really see
what they were doing with all the secrecy. When the line paused again Joe
stood in front of the two to block what they were doing. Mod took what
looked like an albino baby seal and a gray sweatshirt from his backpack and
stuffed the cooler bag and his backpack into the weird seal looking thing.
He attached it to Kate and hid it under the sweatshirt that he had also
hidden in his backpack.
Kate: "Did you get this sweater from Grandma?"
Mod: "Nah, it's one of Dad's old sweaters."
The weird thing wrapped around Kate wasn't really an albino
baby seal, as that would be a ridiculous and smelly thing to attach to someone,
even more ridiculous than a regularly pigmented seal. He had attached a fake
pregnancy belly to his sister.
Mod: “Okay, now act natural, sis.”
Kate scoffed at the notion.
Kate: “Act as if I’m pregnant? You jerk, that’s not
even funny.”
Mod: “With the rate at which you and Joe have been going, I
will be able to say that with a straight face a few months from now.”
Kate and Joe both blushed.
Kate: “You’re lucky I don’t slap you.”
Uncomfortable conversations aside, the line was moving full
speed ahead and Joe’s group was finally nearing the front doors of the
stadium. The closer they got to security, the more nervous they all
became. It was difficult to tell if Kate’s sea of sweat had formed
because of her nervousness or the hot fake belly and sweatshirt that she now
had to wear over her clothes.
At the front of the line, Joe went towards the doors, but
was pushed back by a large man the size of a pro-wrestler, wearing a red
t-shirt. Kate looked at him with rising fear in her eyes and a growing
knot in her stomach. The large man might’ve been a wrestler, but he had
the words UNIVERSITY SECURITY on his shirt. He approached the group and
looked right at Kate and Joe.
Security: “Is this woman with you?”
Kate and Joe looked at each other, and then back at the
security officer. Joe nodded his head and Kate sweated even more, to the
point of drenching her socks.
Security: “Where’s your head at, kid? Let the lady go
first. She’s with child.”
He looked right at her and smiled, which Kate guessed was
meant to be inviting, but didn’t make her feel any more comfortable.
Security: “Go on through, miss.”
Kate gulped down her previous fear and strolled past the
man, while the other two followed close behind. Joe got the stink-eye
from the security guy. Sensing DDTs and power-bombs in his future, he
decided to hasten his pace towards the ticket taker, who then took their
tickets.
Inside, they all had a powwow about where to go and if they
would get snacks. Eventually, they got it all together and found their seats.
The game began with the singing of the national anthem, which got everyone
riled up and patriotic. The players on both teams took to the field in a
frenzy, to everyone’s delight. You could feel the high levels of energy
throughout the stadium. The pops that the players took created audible
“pops” throughout the audience.
The hometown team was losing in the first quarter, to the
chagrin of Joe and the gang. Mod had pulled the thermos from Kate’s baby
belly when he was sure no one was looking. Kate hastily ripped off the hot
sweater and fake belly and threw them underneath her seat. The upper part
of her green tanktop was drenched with sweat.
Kate: “Ugh, I need to cool down.”
Mod pulled a couple cans of Double Dog Brew for himself and
handed another to Joe and then to Kate. Joe sipped his beer while the
other two downed theirs like old pros and argued over who had finished
first. Kate and Mod grabbed more beers and shared stories of the time Mod
had accidently soiled his underwear during a camping trip. Mod tried not
to laugh but couldn’t help himself.
Mod: “You guys are poop-heads.”
Kate: “Great choice of words, little bro. You might
want to rethink what comes out of your potty mouth.”
When the second quarter picked up, they poured their hearts
into cheering the Pickers, while pouring more beers into their mouths. You
would’ve thought the Fowlers had murdered the families of their rivals from the
jeers they got. Joe, Mod, Kate, and the rest that sat in their row,
screamed expletives at the rival team, and a few death threats as well.
Mod and Joe had made friends with the group sitting next to them and even
shared some of their beers. The man sitting next to Mod was very
grateful.
Neighboring Fan: “Yeah, they’re selling beers at the
concession for about seven flippin’ dollars. If I didn’t think security
would be so tight I would’ve brought me some cans too.”
Mod: “Yeah I always come prepared, man. Otherwise I’d blow
all of my allowance—er paycheck, on these drinks.”
Kate elbowed Mod in the ribs and the friendly fan merely
laughed. Towards the end of the second quarter the group started smelling
something weird.
Joe: “Do you guys smell that?”
Kate: “What is it?”
Joe: “Smells like something is burning or something.”
They all smelled it, but it was so faint that no one paid it
any major attention. The Pickers were still down and so the group cheered
louder than ever.
BOOM!
A large rippling explosion reverberated throughout the
stadium, knocking many people over into the aisles below them. Fires came
from seemingly nowhere. Chaos erupted throughout the stadium as everyone
sprang out of their seats and to the exits. Joe kept sight of Kate and
her brother Mod and moved down the crowded stairs and into the hallways of the
stadium. They all ran towards the exit. Kate and Mod had a sizable
lead on Joe.
Another explosion then ripped throughout the stadium,
causing the panic to erupt into pandemonium. Joe lost sight of Kate
amongst the sea of desperate people seeking the exit. The smoke coming
from the lower levels of the stadium was so black and thick that it began to
obscure the field. It had begun to choke Joe; his eyes were starting to
water. He wiped them, and when he did, he saw the most beautiful girl
that he’d ever seen in real life. There were women on TV who came close
to this beauty, but no woman he’d ever seen or met in this reality was even
close. He was forced to question if he was still even alive, or if the
smoke and heat had gotten the better of him. He was as hot as a slab of
ribs on the fourth of July, so that gave him a clue.
For some reason, the woman was running the opposite way from
the rest of the crowd, like fighting a tide, but she managed gracefully and
with marginal effort. There was a loud pop and the beauty ducked, another
and she ducked again. She did all this without losing her running pace,
and Joe realized the woman was being chased and shot at. After another
pop, Joe saw someone in the crowd fall to the ground. He looked around
for the shooter, but had a hard time seeing anyone specific in such a large
crowd. He waited for another pop, and maybe a flash. The anticipation
was killing him. He knew he should be trying to escape with the others, but he
was compelled to find this shooter.
There! He caught sight of the man in the black suit
with what Joe could tell was probably an M9 handgun, thanks to his years of
playing Call of Duty. The crowd had thinned considerably around the man,
and he ran forward after the woman. He pushed a small child out of the
way, and then shoved an older lady to the ground. He carefully aimed his
gun and drew a bead on the olive-skinned beauty. He stopped and
anticipated the way she might move and BLAM!
The bullet flew upwards and clicked against metal near the
ceiling. Joe had slapped the gun out of the man’s hand. After the initial
moment of shock, the man clad in the black suit glared down at Joe, who had
fallen clumsily. Thick red veins bulged from the man’s neck.
Man in Black: “What the hell do you think you’re doing,
kid? I’m going to pop your head off your skinny little shoulders. And
guess what? I’m going to love every second of it.”
The man picked Joe up and threw a wild punch into the
defenseless boy’s stomach. Joe tried to double over and heave up
everything he had eaten today, but the man held him up for more punishment.
Man: “I’m not done with you yet, boy.”
Joe saw the man wind back for a punch that he just knew was
a gift for his face. If given a choice, he would reject the present, or
re-gift it, but he currently didn’t have that luxury.
Joe then fell under the force of several people. He
felt the floor and was free to crawl away from the pandemonium. When he
looked back, he saw that a group of very big Fowler fans were going to town on
the man in black’s face. He couldn’t stomach any more of the carnage, so
he looked forward to see where the woman had went.
Joe just had to make sure that she was okay, then he could
leave. He wasn’t sure if any of those bullets had hit her, and he wasn’t
quite thinking straight. It could have been the drinks. It could
have been the chaos. It could have even been the lack of breathable
air. He hadn’t noticed that there was no blood trail. He hadn’t
even noticed that he had run past another man in a black suit or that the man
was drawing a bead on the back of his skull. The only thing on his mind
now was a scent. It had disrupted Joe’s surroundings. It didn’t fit
in with all the running people, fire, sweat, blood, and chaos. It
smelled…
Joe was halfway to the ground before he heard the popping
sound. He floated seemingly forever between the sky and the ground,
waiting to descend. The smell came back to the forefront of his thoughts
and was stronger now, enjoyably aromatic, but that wasn’t all. There was
a weight on his chest, and it was warm, comfortably so. He instinctively
cradled it and felt arms go around his hips and to his back. For no reason,
Joe felt the moment was framed in gold. He had just enough time to see
her dark tresses spread about his chest as he and this golden person
fell. A perfect moment. A perfect meeting.
The force of his body hitting the floor unmercifully
interrupted all that.
“Are you an imbecile? Get up and run! Go!”
Her voice had an unmistakable foreign flare to it, but
didn’t distract from the message she was trying to convey. The curtness
of her voice jolted Joe to his feet to meet her. When he looked up, she
was already on her feet. He waited for her to move before he did.
“Go! Now!”
She hadn’t even looked at Joe when she’d said that.
Her eyes were on her shooter. She reached for her ear and took off a
large earring. The silver pendant bore a symbol that Joe thought looked
like a lightning bolt.
She threw the thing hard and Joe heard it smack the guy dead
in the chest. He flew back on impact and landed painfully hard on the
floor, convulsing.
He looks like those guys on
Cops
after
they’ve been Tased
, he concluded.
“Why are you still here? I told you to leave!”
Joe: “I’m sorry, miss, I just want to make sure you’re not
hurt or anything.”
“I’m not.”
Joe: “Well I … I just want to help you.”
“Oh no! You’re ‘inspired’ … I really don’t have time
for this.”
She forcibly grabbed Joe’s hand and started running.
Joe saw that she looked determined, and that the earring she had thrown earlier
was now back on her ear. He must have been mistaken; she must have thrown the
one from the opposite ear.
They continued to run against the crowd and away from the
doors. Joe was sure they were actually going deeper into the stadium.
Joe: “Where are we going, miss?”
“Just enjoy the ride. Since you’re so gung-ho about
helping me out.”
They found an elevator and the woman called it. It
opened as soon as she pressed the button.
Joe: “Is this safe, miss … miss? Um, what’s your
name?”
“Just get in.”
Joe: “That’s a funny name.”
Joe offered a smile, but dark tresses pushed him into the
freight car.
“This is as safe as we need it to be, and if you must call
me anything, call me annoyed.”
Joe: “Seriously!?”
“The concept of sarcasm is lost on you, isn’t it? So
to say you’re an imbecile isn’t too far from the mark.”
Joe: “I'm not stupid. I just wanted to know your
name.”
"Call me what you like. If I'm lucky I won't have
to see you after today."
Joe: "Well, the only thing that I can think of is
Beauty."
Beauty: “Whatever helps you sleep at night. Though
that is a curious concept, isn’t it? Beauty can be learned, perfected,
and mastered, and yet it is utterly subjective.”
Dark tresses studied Joe’s face and laughed.
Beauty: “I’m going to think about that one for a while.
I suppose I could use your help. Yes, that’s it!”
Joe scratched his head, both out of habit and in general confusion.
Beauty: “You have a chance to do a really good deed
today. Something that can really help a lot of people out.”
Joe: “What are you trying to do? Why are they trying
to kill you?”
Beauty: “I don’t have time to explain. Just know that
I'm trying to save someone. Once this elevator stops we’re going to have
to run, and if you stick with me your life will be in danger. You need to
decide before we reach the next floor.”
The wooziness brought on by the drinks and lack of oxygen
had disappeared and Joe felt his head was clear now. He wondered why he
had even done what he did earlier to save this woman.
It was simple
,
he thought,
Mom and Pop taught me early on to do the right thing
.
It was only natural to help when big men with guns tried to hurt little
women. Joe knew he couldn’t just sit back and do nothing. He wasn’t
raised that way.
Joe: “This person, are they important to you?”
Beauty: "Not to me, but to someone else, I'm
sure. Today is the only day I can get them out."
Joe thought about it for a moment, but he knew he couldn't
pass up a chance to save someone's life. He would want the same thing if
the shoe was on the other foot.
Joe: "I'll help you."
The woman didn’t look all that surprised.