Chapter 1


    Dick


    The sunrise cresting over the horizon displayed a vibrant pinkish orange that set edges of the Eastern sky on fire. Yet, the air itself was barely warm, and the breeze brushed across his face with a soft chill that reminded him of his childhood.


    "Let’s run down to the pond and catch some turtles Dicky!" His older brother Benji called out.


    "Don''t call me that! You know I hate that name!" exclaimed Richard.


    "Bllrrrrttt!" Benji stuck his tongue out and spit out at Richard while the door shut behind him.


    He shook his head on the memory and how it was always one of the first things he would think of when Spring came calling. Who the hell made the executive decision that Richard would automatically default to Dick or Dicky anyways!? It didn’t even make sense. To make matters worse, the more he complained the more people doubled down on calling him the damn name. It certainly didn’t help that his last name was also “conveniently”Majors.


    This unfortunate turn of events has caused confusion countless times and usually led to him apologizing for perceived notions simply on a name that was completely out of his control. It’s not like he was hurting in that department either, he just wasn’t “packing heat” in any way that warranted the name Dick Majors. Nope, his parents just didn’t care that their son would eventually walk around in society with a name of some 70’s Chippendales dancer.


    All that being said, he finally succumbed to peer pressure and just accepted his fate as Dick and stopped complaining. It’s relatively common he thought. That you would eventually get stuck with some name that you probably hated at first. At least this one was common enough that once he hit his twenties people didn’t really bat an eye at it; and really isn’t that all you could hope for. To eventually fade into the masses of those around you so nothing sticks out as weird or too awkward for social events, right?


    Another spring breeze pulled him out of his daydreaming thoughts, and he looked down at the steam seething up from his locally roasted and freshly brewed coffee. After a couple of sips to set the morning off perfectly, he stood up and took in a deep breath as rays of freshly birthed sunshine bathed him in pure light.


    “Time to gear up and head out” he said out loud to himself.


    Dick took his time getting dressed. It was a routine that he liked to take his time to do, and although he had been in this role for about a year and a half this part never got old. Being security detail for a State Senator was a pretty sweet deal. It’s not like many people are actually interested in taking action against some old geezer who just so happens to be out here in the mountains of Tennessee. Well at least outside of a few whack-a-doodle types that didn’t really act out beyond a poorly crafted Social Media post or some mishmash of insults barely legible to anyone beyond a 5^th grade internet presence.


    After he donned his new thin-tech bullet proof vest he put on his tactical khakis and green utility jacket. At least the old man didn’t mind what they wore, and he wasn’t being forced to literally suit up every day in a three-piece CIA suit.


    Once his things were in order and he looked like a very obvious member of an overseas detail attached to an embassy personality, he wrapped his ritual up with a few practice swings with his hidden bowie. Not that he wore it to be an obvious deterrent or to give off some badass Rambo persona. He actually just really admired his Crocodile Dundee knife and the skills he had obtained with it while in his early teen years. What started out as simple childlike admiration of a goofy outback personality had evolved into full on passion for handling medium sized blades. His throwing techniques alone had allowed him to win enough parlor trick bets to pay his rent in college a few times. To be honest, it sort of bugged him that he had never actually needed to use it in the line of duty. Not even when he was on an actual detail in Afghanistan for an entire 8-month security team deployment. Still, just having it strapped on and resting up at a slight angle against his back just felt like, home.


    As Dick reached for the doorknob he was met with a strange overwhelming electric feeling. It was as if his entire body was suddenly covered in static electricity. His muscles completely locked up, all of his hair was standing on its end, and his mouth tasted fuzzy as if he had been knocked out and had only just recently became conscious again. After several seconds had passed Dick’s brain function returned, and his body unfroze. He had a sudden shiver run down his back, and he was able to turn the knob and step through the door.


    Although the pause was unexplainable and in any normal circumstance should cause one to stop and ask what in the hell just happened, His ability to recognize that it even occurred was gone as quickly as it had come. Although it had taken approximately 5 seconds, he wasn’t even able to remember freezing in time as soon as the moment had passed. It was as if he was temporarily in a trance and all functions were shut off. Even his short-term memory.


    This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Today’s morning drive was relatively uneventful, but that was the strangest part about it. The morning sun had hidden itself behind the now gray blanket that had taken over the clear open sky of the recently experienced vibrant dawn. And the roads that aren’t usually busy in the first place were even less so. By quite the margin in fact. Hell, he only saw one other vehicle on his entire 23-minute commute. It didn’t immediately strike him as strange, but you couldn’t help but notice when the entire roadway has been turned into a ghost town. Not that he really minded. It had been a very long time for any drive, over damn near any distance, that didn’t also have some level of stress and anger involved within it.


    Pulling into the old man’s drive, Dick couldn’t help but feel as if the air was getting thicker than it had been before. It was as if the gray sky itself was leaking down and looked like it could be pulled into the lungs of anyone it floated close enough to. Carrying with it a taste of electricity as if touching a nine-volt battery over your tongue, except this affected every pore across your entire body not just the points of contact on your tongue.


    What is this feeling and why is it so thick here at the old man’s house? Or is this everywhere now? As Dick walked across the crushed gravel portion of the driveway he noticed that he could see dust particles picking up and lingering in his wake. Small sparks seemed to shoot back and forth between some of the smaller particles and he caught himself looking down and immediately shaking his head and muttering out loud,


    “Damn, maybe I should be concerned more about what the hell I’m looking at.”


    However, his focus was quickly pulled into the direction of the front door of Mr. Hegseths home as the door knocker buckle began to vibrate with a low hum and a quickening tempo. At that moment Dick pulled himself out of the trance of strange happenings and quickly rushed up to the door. He didn’t know what was happening, but if something was going on here, he knew he needed to see the Senator quickly and ensure his safety as soon as possible.


    As he reached for the door, for the second time today his body locked up. All of what happened with his previous doorknob encounter rushed back to him. The electricity covering his body, the inability to move, and the fuzzy taste all were felt and instantly remembered as a recurring theme. The fact that this had happened just minutes earlier, but he wasn’t able to remember until this exact moment was troubling to say the least. Yet this sudden revelation caused his brain to begin processing things in a hyper state. He wasn’t sure if it was through shear will power, his body’s natural instinct, or a combination of both, but his heart began to slam against his chest as if he were amping up for a fight. THUMP. THUMP. THUMP.


    Once the third shattering heartbeat was felt booming out from his ears and across his brain, Dick forced himself forward. This time against the freezing feeling that still tried to captivate his entire body.


    With eyes wide and a grunt of extra willpower he blasted through the door. Strangely enough as soon as he broke free from the invisible hold, the door itslef actually flew open with well-oiled ease the moment it budged.


    He was immediately assaulted by the sheer brightness of the room, and he quickly realized he was no longer at the Senator’s home. Hell, he wasn’t sure if this was still Tennessee. The air was foreign to him. Similar to the way an ICU room would smell in a hospital, but this place wasn’t being cleaned with hospital grade cleaner and the smell was somehow… digital? His intuition told him that this room couldn’t be dirtied by anything physically done to it. It was as if the walls and floor would be kept clean by some technology that he couldn’t comprehend, but he knew he was on the right path.


    Out of curiosity he stamped his foot down and watched the dust from his boot fall and digitally absorb into the ground leaving behind only a well-polished tile reflecting back up at him.


    “Hmmm, well would you look at that.” He said under his breath.


    As he looked up from the floor he took in the room. He was in a bright white tiled room with lights that seemed to emanate from each tile without there being an actual light source. As he stumbled forward he came up to a desk looking station. Behind it there stood a short yet slender man with skin that looked like it had scales hidden by some sort of invisible magic just over the surface. He only saw the skin for a split moment and then only at very specific angles would the light deflect enough to see it. Once he was able to focus entirely on the man’s face he noticed the unique orange and gold speckled iris burning from his large piercing eyes.


    “Um, uh. Hello?!” Dick inquired.


    “Ah! Hello mister straggler!” exclaimed the clerk behind the counter with a raspy almost amphibian tone.


    “Well, I’m not exactly sure what is happening… Where the hell am I? Is this some joke? Did you guys do something to the Senator? Wait, what do you mean straggler?” Dick said in a sudden jumble of confused word vomit.


    The little man seemed to burn through Dick and his dumbfounded look. As if the very courage to speak was worth getting a slap upside the head over.


    “Calm down, calm down. Try shutting up and we can work through the details together. Okay?!” The little man said, clearly bothered.


    As Dick went to speak he stopped himself. At the same time a wave of calm energy washed down his body as if he had gulped down a glass of cold water on an empty stomach. He cleared his throat and gained his composure before speaking again.


    “Sorry. Where are my manners. Can we start with your name first? I’m Richard Majors.” Dick said with the wave of calm still swirling around him.


    “Ermmm, hurumph. Sure thing buddy.” The man grunted.


    “Most people refer to me as Spectraclintiss, but your people have butchered it all day. So just call me Spec. I’ll be the tutorial guide to your special event. If you choose to participate that is…” Spec trailed off with a raised eyebrow.


    He was allowing time to linger as if to give Dick a chance to answer. Although he had no clue what he was potentially going to participate in. Leading to several seconds of awkward silence. Eventually Spec relented and continued.


    “Moving on then.”