ALARM CLOCK DAWN (An Original Novel - Episode 54)
Ikeda walked over to Adam with hands locked behind his back and stared deeply into his eyes. “Son, your people need your help desperately.”
“What do you mean, Ikeda?” Adam asked.
“What we need to recover is a little metal box about this size,” Ikeda said as he held his hands about five inches apart. “The metal it's made of is incredibly rare and unique, mined from an asteroid belt found many thousands of light years away from here. It changes colors when held to the light. It is strong enough to safely contain an immense explosion.”
Adam instantly recalled the box that Ikeda was describing.
“Once I have this combustion chamber, we will all leave in this ship and go to a place where you can rebuild your civilization. It will not be easy, but at least you will have a chance. I assure you it is now the only hope of saving your people.”
Adam nodded. “The combustion chamber you described was on my desk my last day at XenTek. Once I figured out what it was used for, they installed it in the craft they pieced together inside the Phoenix collider.” Adam paused as he reflected for a moment. “Ikeda, you said we would all leave in this ship. Where will we go?”
“We must first recover this combustion chamber. This is the final piece we need to make this craft operational and ensure your people survive the coming catastrophe. This is the only way, and you are the only one who can do it. I can't share any more details with you until we have the chamber. You must have faith.”
The last thing in the entire world Adam wanted to do was leave this place of peace and go back into the harshness of the city. The thought of returning gave him a feeling of great dread.
“Ikeda, it would be a suicide mission!” Evelyn cried. “You don't realize how vindictive Johann Pfizer can be. We'll all wish we were dead if he finds us, I can assure you of that. We will need a powerful ally to pull this off.”
Ikeda closed his eyes and smiled. “An ally you have, my dear. XenTek headquarters is now engulfed in chaos. There is now a very small window of time to act. Allies will appear for the righteous.”
The look on her face showed Evelyn was far from convinced.
“A suicide mission it is not. Quite the opposite,” Ikeda told Evelyn. “What Adam is about to do happens to be his destiny and the result of it will be ours.”
“I'm in!” Bear exclaimed.
“So am I,” Evelyn reluctantly chimed in.
“But how will I even know what to do?” Adam asked.
“There is no script for life. We write our stories with each decision we make. This is your first real test. You must have faith and trust in your abilities and intuition. Even more importantly, you must have the courage to act. You do not yet have any idea of what you're capable of doing. I can't remind you of this enough. The power of your soul is well beyond your comprehension. Free your mind from worry and keep it open to possibilities. If you do this you will pass, I assure you.”
A gentle smile appeared on Ikeda's face as he patted Adam lovingly on the cheek, closed his eyes, and began to recite another poem:
Embedded in Ikeda's words were reassurance, confidence, and peace. They resonated deeply with Adam. He rested his hand on Ikeda's shoulder, and they gave one another a long, knowing glance. Adam had no doubt the two had formed an unbreakable bond and he realized what he must do. In fact, never was he more certain of anything in his life.
CHAPTER 19
As Adam stepped out of the shelter of the cave at Bell Rock, he noticed that the golden light of dawn to the East was being consumed by black clouds drifting in from the Terra Valley. These clouds were different from any he had seen before. The sky rolled and churned like massive ocean waves in slow motion.
Ikeda rubbed his hands together and glanced up to the sky with a worrisome look. “If this is to be a success, you must start your journey now. I'm afraid there isn't much time.”
Ikeda removed a black bag he had slung over his shoulder and reached into it, handing each of the three a small bundle. “Evelyn was nice enough to fix these Holos so they can’t be traced. Use these to communicate if you get separated. Also, in each of your bundles is a C.ID card and a simple disguise matching the identity on your cards. These things will ensure your safe passage back into the city.”
Adam knew getting through the security checkpoint and into the city was the least of their worries. More worrisome was the fact that they would need to travel the ten miles back to the city with the threat of a massive storm looming over them and then somehow gain access into XenTek's headquarters.
“Try not to worry, and, above all else, read the events unfolding around you. Keep your eyes open. The universe is interactive and will assist in the least likely of places for those who are awakened. These should help speed up your journey,” he added, pointing toward three bicycles leaning against a weathered pine tree. They were rusty and all appeared to be pieced together from spare parts but would serve their purpose, drastically shortening trip.
Bear laughed as he struggled to lift his leg over the top tube of the bicycle's frame. “You're kidding me, right? I hope this thing has heavy duty tires.”
Evelyn and Adam mounted their bikes, standing up as they peddled to get enough leverage to catch up with Bear who was already quite a ways ahead of them.
“Godspeed!” Ikeda yelled as the three of them rode off towards the city.
Tune in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday for new episodes of Alarm Clock Dawn! The final episode including a ENORMOUS plot twist will be read by yours truly live at the first annual SteemFest in Amsterdam on Saturday, November 12th.
Alarm Clock Dawn is the first novel of a trilogy. The sequel entitled, Truth Is Stranger, will be published in the Spring of 2017.
Please visit my website to sign up for my author newsletter. My newsletter subscribers will receive exclusive updates on the release of the sequel and other special offers.
Thx!
Looking forward to the next episode.
another engaging episode and I love love love the poem
Thank you very much @natureofbeing!!