《Reflections: Memoirs of a Minder Book 1》


 Preface

    <h2><u>Mankind''s Origin Timeline</u>.</h2>


    <h4>The Great Tragedy.</h4>


    In the late years of the 35th century, roughly 1000 years into the longest running peacetime in history, the human race experiences what is known as "the Great Tragedy". An event in time caused by an unknown source that destroys nearly 85% of all human life on earth.


    It began as a wave of abnormal behaviors on a mass scale, with reports of people not arriving for school or work, traffic coming to a complete stop for no reason at all, and nobody was eating. The condition spread quickly as the majority of the population on earth began to move at a slow, sluggish pace. Relaxed and calm, but lifeless. As if everyone had been fed strong sedatives. Happening at first, only in major cities of cultural influence. New York, Honk Kong, Dubai, Marseille, Cape Town, Sydney, Rio, etc. were all affected by this condition, almost simultaneously. Practically overnight, this condition spread like wildfire and within a weeks time it had become a global phenomenon that stopped the world in its tracks. People stopped getting out of bed, going to work, eating, drinking, or even talking. As if the life and spirit was sucked right out of their bodies!


    Eventually this led to a mass deterioration of sanity as the days turned to weeks and everyone''s minds began to warp as people began to lose grasp of their realities. Starvation, dehydration, exposure, and hallucinations, causing them to completely lose their minds. Bodies began twisting and twitching with small seizures, screaming loudly until the voice was gone, before finally freezing to a statuesque state. Yellow, milk textured fluids secreting from the eyes and ears.


    This, strange liquid, seeping onto the surface, is believed to be the reason that the Earth took an even darker turn. Life, was then sucked from mother nature herself. Green turned brown as the forests, jungles, and farms throughout the planet simply stopped growing. Wiping the insect and animal populations out completely. Eventually, causing the unaffected remainder to fight for survival as they try to, not only understand, but accept the horrifying reality that this may be the end. To make things worse for the survivors. As if being taunted by the universe, water, remained. In abundance.


    The water was infected. Whatever had happened to the others had not affected the survivors. However, it was discovered quickly, that direct consumption of un-purified food or water from the surface would have a survivor dead within a week.


    <h1><u>The Survivors.</u></h1>


    The humans that managed to survive did so in a number of ways. The majority of the population immediately began to dig underground and settle in the land beneath the surface, deep into the Earths lower mantle. Some boarded and built spacecraft and evacuated to the International space station, the moon, and even Mars, while the not so lucky ones simply drifted in space. A small population was abandoned entirely, left remaining on the surface.


    Years shift into decades, centuries, on into a millennia. Man survives, now scattered throughout the solar system. The never-ending illusion of time constantly working against us. Nature started to shift them towards different evolutionary paths.


    Lower Mantle, Tranquility.


    The humans who remained on Earth had unfortunately discovered that, due to the Tragedy, a large number of the males were rendered sterile and unable to reproduce. The ones that could, only reproduced more sterile males. They had to begin dedicating their resources to a solution which began the foundations of a great underground city known as Tranquility. Having to rely on artificial insemination and the creation of sperm through DNA splicing to maintain their survival.They eventually evolved into a tall, slender, Grey, hairless species, that no longer had sexual organs. They have enhanced intelligence and minor telepathic abilities. They are known as the Tall Grey, for their abnormal height and grey skin.


    Tranquility thrives and is now the central location for the human scientific community in the Milky Way. Becoming home to many prestigious universities. Molding the greatest scientific minds in the galaxy. The majority of "The Great Tragedy" research takes place here. This is where the discovery of modern time travel took place. The very first time travelers were Physicists at the Grand Tranquil University in the year 19,876 by way of a small star-gate they could create through a combination of sound frequencies. This scientific breakthrough sparked galaxy wide inspiration and great minds began to travel years, even light-years, to return home to attend the university.


    Moon, Port of customs, Orion


    The humans that went to space station and the moon, were the last of the elite group of high-class members of society that controlled the world before the Tragedy. These people already had escape plans in place. As well as, a full stock of frozen eggs and sperm and everything they would need to settle and rebuild. Reproduction and survival for them would be no problem. The space station became a centralized entry and exit point into tranquility. Anybody coming too, or leaving from, Earth. Had to pass through the high and heavy security here. While on the moon, their scientists, were able to develop technology that would send them on a trajectory towards the Orion system, just past Orion''s belt. A small solar system consisting of 3 small planets orbiting a small star. Where ancient beliefs state humans may have originated. They had no evidence and no guidance, they simply shot for the stars on a leap of faith that something was out there better than the moon. They do, in fact, make it to Orion.


    They discovered the remains of an ancient civilization. Large cities lie in ruins all across the planet. They settled in the ruins and began to rebuild a thriving civilization. Orion was a beautiful rock in space roughly the size of Neptune, its gravity is two and half times that of earth. It had flourishing forests, jungles, water, and an abundance of wildlife. They had 26 hours of sunlight followed by 26 hours of night on Orion. This was due to a slower rotation and the planets size. These humans became the leading pioneers in luxury, finances, and physical pleasures.


    A haven for the rich and famous. Orion is home to the galaxy''s lone Financial Institution known as the Nordic Bank. The center of all T-Creds (Transactional Credits) throughout the Milky Way. Everyone with an income in the galaxy has an account with the Nordic Bank. It is Publicly owned by the inhabitants of Orion who are awarded a small percentage of the stocks at birth. The implementation of this was in place to avoid the risk of wrongful abuse of power and control by banking cartels like the unfortunate souls of the 20th and 21st centuries before the fall of the the federal reserve during the conflicts of WWIII.


    This system makes the Orion the leading exporters of high-class capitalists who believe themselves to be equal to gods. These men had not evolved much in appearance or way of life since the Tragedy. The Nordic still had fully functioning sexual organs and almost as if to taunt the other races. They were extremely open and free with their bodies. Apart from, the growth of the head and the brain, the enlarged blue almond shaped eyes, and the larger muscles due to the increased gravity, the Nordic still very much resembled the humans of the past. They all had blonde hair and a pale complexion, due to the lack of vitamin D from the planets resources.


    The Martians


    The humans that went to mars discovered a pre-existing civilization of highly intelligent insectoid beings called Manti that were hidden beneath the surface. They were a species of great strength and intelligence, yet they lived in tunnels and the technology they used was minimal and primitive in respect to the humans. The discovery initially sparked some violent conflict between the two species. Primarily out of fear, and accidental invasion. Though as the years went by, peace was established and a technologically cooperative civilization began to flourish. Entirely underground as to keep out of the rough sandstorms that riddled the surface.


    Dealing with the same sterility problems as the others on earth. They were introduced to the way of spiritual enlightenment by way of the Manti. Who introduced them to natural ways to heal the body and mind, through intense meditation and focus of their collective consciousness. This healed their bodies and in fact, created a more fertile race than before. The population started to boom. The shared knowledge and worlds of the two species greatly enhanced the mental and intellectual attributes of these men. Eventually they developed powerful telepathic abilities and completely eliminated the use of communication by ways of auditory sound. They began to understand the secrets of the universe by way of the Manti who had managed to find the secret to near immortality through ancient traditions. No-one has ever seen a Manti die outside of combat.


    The men and the Manti live and thrive together peacefully. The martian society is entirely based of wonder. They eventually created technology that allowed Martians to grow their children the way they that liked, to be who, or what they liked. Outside of the body and without the need for intercourse. Strangely, as technology advanced, society took a darker turn and it became culturally accepted to, instead of grow new children, create new bodies to which they would transfer their consciousness too prior to death. This ensured the preservation of knowledge and allows for continuous advances among their society. The mind is the number one concern or priority here and time is not to be wasted on such primitive tasks as raising children. They prefer to always be developing new technologies and exploring innovative ideas. This is all they do. Any new technology or new weapon found out in the Milky Way, is more than likely to have originated on Mars.


    This cultural way of life and the underground world throughout the millennia had led these humans to evolve into a smaller grey species with very large heads and small limbs. They too, no longer had sexual organs, or a digestive system, because they went so far as to create a liquid they could drink once a day. Rendering the need for a mouth to be nearly unnecessary as well, their mouths shrink down to a slit that barely opens. This drink has all the required nutrients and vitamins they would need to not only survive, but remain in a healthy condition 100% of the time. Designed for immediate synthesis. This was created initially by a few scientist at first so that they continue developing their minds without the distraction of needing to eat food, or use the restroom. Not long after its creation, tests had displayed extraordinarily positive results, and it was released to the public. Within weeks, the need for food and water became a distant memory.


    The Collective


    All Governments and members of the scientific and military communities in the above mentioned civilizations however, continue to remain connected and cooperative under the guidance of "The Collective". A centralized Government that oversees all military, scientific, and humanitarian operations. They are the first ever completely unbiased government and fully functioning democracy that is at the disposal of every being in the galaxy. For the sake of the human races survival and continued longevity. The Collective takes no part whatsoever in anything involving finances. Influence and control is not the intention here. Preservation of the knowledge, the species, and the peace are the primary concern.


    The Drifters, Unknown


    Those drifting in space suffered a wide array of outcomes. Some people lost their minds and killed each other, others establish settlements on small moons or asteroids and became societies riddled with war, while others, crash landed on rogue planets and no contact was ever established. Therefore, no real information is known about them. Reports have come into The Collective from time to time about ships being raided by unknown human and Non-human species on the outermost regions of the galaxy. As well as, along some of the more common trade routes. However, no other civilization from the humans has been recorded to date.


    The Abandoned


    The humans that remained on earth''s surface were the most hated and shunned race in modern time. It was discovered shortly after evacuation ops began that a large number of humans were not humans at all. They were, in fact, part of a species of being that man had once thought was only a myth. Reptilian beings with scaly greenish brown skin and yellow eyes who could shift into the form of other humanoids as a survival tactic. They had been the original natives to earth. Their blood lines dating back past the dinosaurs, not much is known about their background. These beings remained in hiding throughout Man''s entire run on earth and now that they were gone. The reptilian had no need to hide.


    Now, they have established cities all across earths surface. They reproduce at an alarming rate . However, they are a highly unpredictable, angry, and violent people. So the population, and their cities, rise and fall fast due to always being engaged in some kind of war or conflict. They love competition and the thrill of battle. Its said in some of the more run down cities they often engage in unprovoked acts of murder and cannibalism. They are extremely sensitive to criticisms and have a tendency to react with violence. This lifestyle brings the average life expectancy to a saddening 35 years. Their cities are gloomy and resemble that of a refugee camp. The capital city for Reptilian civilization is called New Oor. Reptilian historians claim that the Earths original name before the dinosaurs were wiped out, was Oor. This city is home to the worst of the worst.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    There were no prisons in modern civilizations. The Nordic were quite fond of forcing the accused to engage in combat in the arena, small Greys were known to lobotomizeand force them to live out their days in a mental retardation. Tall greys from Tranquility however, send all of their criminals and exiles to New Oor, where nobody really knows what happens to them.


    The reptilians receive no aid from The Collective. They wouldn''t even allow them a representative seat on the council. Every race currently blames them for the destruction of the human race. This caused the reptilians to remain a very low-class society with crime and violence everywhere. Some trade agreements have been made between Tranquility and New Oor for food and medical supplies. However, most contact with reptilians end in violence or death of one party or the other. Most conflict between Reptilians takes place near the Port of Inspiration, the gateway to the underground city of Tranquility. Although in recent years things have calmed down. There is still much animosity toward them.


    <h2><u>The Ambassadors</u></h2>


    Shortly after the breakthrough in time travel in early 19,880 after the technology was perfected and the effects of time travel on the human body were sufficiently understood. In secret, the first ever group of Ambassadors were selected.


    The first Ambassadors had been a team consisting of 10 men and women, highly intelligent, well renowned, well-respected, scientific and political figures in the solar system. Some volunteered. Others were selected from a list of potential candidates that was galaxy wide. All are doctorate holders in their respected fields with a specific skill or study to contribute to the cause. Which was, to return to the cities of the past. Learn and discover the cause of the great tragedy, and either A. prevent it, Or B. Learn from it, so as to reverse the effects of Earth so humankind can return home.


    These assignments were supposed to be simple. Scientific observations at most. This was the first time in history man was going to attempt an extended stay in the past. So the team felt that the term "Mission" was inappropriate for the job they would be performing. Thus the task became known as an "Alteration." Because, if successful, they would be altering history as they knew it. In the name of science, and the human race, the execution of the first Alteration begins in Mar of the year 19,881.


    During the very first Alteration the team of Ambassadors had traveled back to New York City in the year 3485, where they learned much more about time travel and the universe than they could have ever imagined. This was the week that the first reports of unusual behavior began. Not at all-knowing what to expect the team was not able to decide exactly where to start the search, therefore New York was actually selected out of a hat in a conference room.


    First sighting of Henry Black


    They exited the gate in Central Park at sunrise, they all shake off the effects of the jump for 30 or so secs and check their gear before beginning to wander into the empty streets of the city. The people here have already started to remain in their homes so the city had roughly 10% of the amount of normal NYC life it would have. The ones who were outside immediately take notice of the strange beings wide eyeing them as the team strolled down 8th ave on the southwest end of the park. Their telepathic abilities allowed for a flood of thoughts to rush in from the locals who caught sight of them. They were scared, questioning their eyes, some were praying, and the thoughts seemed to stutter in others. The team had not considered the drastic changes in their appearance the last 16,000 years at all. Time travel is still widely misunderstood at this point. Also, It had been generations since they had seen a primitive human and records of this time had been twisted and warped while man focused on survival over the accuracy of history.


    Panic started as the people became more uneasy by the teams presence. Surprised by this, the team began to move at a more rapid pace so as to gather as much information as possible before their presence caused anymore stir. The team stopped in their tracks along the road near the entrance of the 50th street subway station after spotting a man in a black tailored suit and sunglasses standing in the roadway. He was the only individual not moved by their presence. The entire time they moved the streets until now had caused a stir among the locals. This man was not afraid. It appeared as though he expected them.


    The team watched and waited, the man removed his sunglasses and begins to crack a smile. He pulls a handkerchief from his right pocket and begins wiping his lens clean. Long, deliberate, and agonizing display of confidence as he took his time. Which, to the Ambassadors, seems to slow down as the they watched in total shock. They had not expected the Alteration to provide such strange occurrences. So, doing what scientists do best, the team observes. Unsure of his purpose, They watched curiously as he starts to raise the glasses back towards his eyes, their focus broken by a strange pop as the air around them turns red and moist as the left side of an Ambassadors head explodes, covering the team in blood and brain matter. An ambush!


    The team panics and starts to scramble for cover as the body drops and rounds begin to make contact all around them. There are no sounds. Taking cover, the Ambassadors frantically scan the surrounding buildings and street to find the shooter. None in sight. One, glanced over the jersey barrier they chose for cover in the direction of the suited man to see an empty street. The man was gone. Shocked and confused he is unable to lower his head in time for the round to miss as his head pops like a watermelon, and the red misty cloud falls over the team.


    Packed with adrenaline, and consumed by fear, the remaining eight ambassadors begin to run towards the 50th street subway entrance. They were roughly 20 meters away when suddenly, near the entrance, the air between the team and the stairs begins to flicker and glitch as the active camouflage of a tall figure fades into view and reveals a being dressed in all black clothing wearing highly advanced tactical gear, his stance firm and engaging, he is pointing his rifle directly at the team. Not a sound, Not a flash. Rounds fly towards and passed the team and some making contact. As three more fall, the last five continue turning down the empty subway and taking cover near an information booth. They pull out the jump equipment and start to play the frequencies to open the gate back home.


    The air in front of them cracks and fizzes as light pierces through and the gate begins to slowly open. Terrified and in shock, they wait as time crawls to a stand still. Beyond the flickering of the gate, as if staring through the warped blur of heat over a camp fire, they watch the forms of three beings descend the stairway. The gate is big enough to crawl through by the time they reach the ground level and one team member, who had taken a round in the bicep, dives right into the beach ball sized gate without hesitation and returns home. Another bleeds out, from wounds taken during the initial folly while waiting, and the remaining three watch, unable to move as the beings approach.


    One in front and two behind. They move quickly. The two behind were 7 feet in height wearing black tactical gear with their weapons at the low-ready. The one in front was a strong-looking man with long hair, wearing a dark blue long-coat with a golden trim. He wore exquisite looking trousers and a blouse that resembled that of a musketeer. The entire get-up made him appear as if he was a pirate sailing the open waters. He walked with less discipline than the two behind. Almost drunkenly.


    The three Ambassadors could have jumped home. They would have survived. However, they were scientists. They weren''t bred for this kind of scenario. Fear, captured and held them hostage as the three beings reached the gate. The pirate man smiles and smashes the equipment, the team watches the member that escaped disappears with a crackle. At once, both of the tall beings raise their rifles and each take direct aim at an Ambassador. It goes silent.


    "Now now" says the pirate man, he crouches down to stare directly into the ambassador''s eyes. He can see the reflection of his large blue eyes in the Terrified, tear filled Scientist''s. The Ambassador is unable to move or speak. He places his right hand on the ambassador''s head, wipes away some blood from his cheek with his thumb. His left, slowly raising an antique M1911 style handgun, much too old to be from this time. He places the barrel on the mans forehead. "You should not be here brother" He pulls the trigger. The two behind follow his lead.


    <h2><u>The Minders.</u></h2>


    The failure of the first Alteration rocked The Collective as new questions about our reality began to arise. The lone surviving Ambassador reported everything that took place that day and was examined rigorously. Somebody, somewhere, doesn''t want us returning to the past, and it was clear now that the Alterations and Ambassadors program was not going to be the, simple, scientific, and observational operations they imagined after all.


    The man was traumatized beyond use. The bicep that was hit during the ambush had not only destroyed two thirds of the upper arm, but it had total loss of all motor functions. The round used was made from an unknown material. It left no trace of shrapnel or cauterization. As if thin air just exploded from within the muscle fibers. This told the Collective that whoever was shooting, was also using possible technology from the future. Causing the need for immediate research into newer strategies and technologies themselves.


    Therefore, when the Ambassador II team was selected five years after the first Alteration. It had been decided that among the selection process they would begin to observe and select highly trained military personnel, with cosmic top secret clearances, to act as security for the Ambassadors during alterations. They would become the very first, Minders.


    Once the first minders were selected, briefed, and trained, the second Alteration went underway. This time a smaller team consisting of two Ambassadors and two Minders, armed with standard energy pistols only, was sent back the New York. Only the goal was now to remain hidden while they moved and strictly observed the events of the first Alteration. They needed to learn what happened and report to the Collective.


    The Team arrived in the city roughly five minutes before team one. Able to blend in better now with the use of holographic generators designed to lighten their physical features, they took positions throughout 8th avenue and they observe the movements of the team. Noting all surrounding movements as the locals scrambled away. They observed as the team spotted the suited man and begin to take fire. Ignoring the team, the Minders prepared to engage as the situation escalates. They watched as the team scrambled to find cover. Noting the movements of the suited man, they witness a star gate flutter into sight behind him, it was faster than their own tech would allow, and the man steps in, the gate closing instantly into nonexistence as two nearly invisible shapes float passed at high speed. Directly towards the team.


    The tall shapes flick and flutter into sight revealing thier highly advanced tactical gear and weapons of an unknown origin. Fluid and deliberate, they moved with an almost robotic precision as they funneled the team into the 50th St. subway. Once the ambassadors from team one had descended, the Minders of team two watched the beings as they stood at the entrance. The air flickers briefly as the Pirate man appears as if out of thin air. "These first one''s are much more skiddish then I had expected are they not?" The pirate man said. Waving the armed figures to follow him downstairs.


    The team watched as a minute passed and a loud shot was heard. The three ascend the stairs of the subway entrance, the pirate man cleaning a handgun with a fine white handkerchief. As he slips it back into a holster on his hip, a star-gate opens and a small Grey steps through wearing an all black, tightly fitted jumpsuit. The star-gate closes behind him and two more appear near the bodies of the fallen ambassadors. More greys come through and retrieve the bodies and the gates close as fast as they opened. Leaving the Pirate man, the jumpsuit wearing grey, and the two tall soldiers behind. Having a discussion near the stairway.


    "Why don''t they have minders?" The pirate man asked the grey. No sounds come from the grey. The Pirate man continues to speak aloud as if speaking to himself, "I understand that.... well.... I suppose your right....They couldn''t know what they were starting.... haha, yes.... alright alright, Just, promise to kill me if I''m ever a weak ambassador will you?" he gestures to one of the soldiers who pulls a device out of his pocket and a stargate opens. The soldiers step through followed by the pirate man, the grey, turned and looked directly at the team, then stepped into the gate.


    Team two had seen enough. They play the frequencies to open the gate with their jump gear. The gate opens up and the team returns home to report to the Collective, It was an Ambassador who killed the first team and it was clear they had more advanced tech. Thus, begins the millennia long battle across time and space to discover the truth about their demise, and why the very Ambassadors who were selected to save them, are fighting to keep them from learning the truth. Therefore, in secret, The Collective starts authorizing Alterations on a regular basis.


    Our story begins on the graduation day of a Minder 52,000 years into mankind''s future. A millennia into the search. They are not much closer to the truth than they were when they started. It''s the first day of the rest of his life, and the turning point for the history of mankind. The fight for the truth is still underway. The only thing to do is to learn from the past in order to save the future. All of the answers lie within the Reflections of their decisions.


    <h1><u>Reflections: Memoirs of a Minder.</u></h1>

 Character Bios

    <u>Ziniz Kagta, The Minder.</u>


    <u></u>


    Tall Grey standing roughly seven feet high with bright blue eyes, scattered threads of blonde hairs atop his smooth, mostly bald head, and a slight shine to his complexion. Theses features were not your standard Grey features. Ziniz was born beneath Earth''s surface in the city of Tranquility in the year 52,038 to highly intellectual parents. His mother, a beautiful Nordic micro-biologist with long blonde hair and features resembling that of the ancient Cleopatra with a much more pale complexion. She was born in the "Colony", a small Nordic human settlement on an asteroid near Saturn''s outer ring. His father, a Force retired, high ranking military official and former Minder himself. Also born in the city of tranquility, had the ideal look of the tall Greys. No hair, large black almond shaped eyes that blink horizontally, head slightly larger in proportion to the rest of him, no ears, and riddled with battle scars from his days as a Minder. They met on assignment during a routine "Alteration" in the year 52,027. This unlikely pair is what made Ziniz so unique. It is extremely taboo for a grey to inseminate a Nordic woman. Especially considering grey humans lack sexual organs. Ziniz, was created by his parents for a purpose. At the age of two, young Ziniz had already began his homeschool and already had an incredible mind by the age of seven when he was hand selected to endure the 20 year training program to become a Minder, his parents are extremely proud. Minder training, conducted on Julien III in the Zedian Star-cluster roughly 400 lightyears from the Milky Way Galaxy, is the longest and most psychologically and physically intense training in the known universe. To be selected for Minder training is one of the highest honors among the Grey humans remaining on earth after the "Great Tragedy" in the Late years of the 35th century. Ziniz was among the top 3 students in his class of 30. Excelling in academics, close quarters combat, strategical warfare, communication, and telepathy he was able to out perform the majority of the other cadets. With the exception of his bunk mate Jarka Unfou. Who was always a few steps ahead of him. He is the ideal candidate to be a Minder. Ziniz''s personality can be rough at times. His appearance makes the other Greys uneasy so he spends most of his time silently observing the world around him and devotes nearly every moment of his life to his career.


    <u>Mina Sli, The Ambassador </u>


    Highly respected, experienced, and intelligent political advocate. Mina is an "Ambassador", who''s job is to travel throughout timelines and dimensions learning, teaching, and ultimately altering the outcome of of all timelines and realities. The goal, determine where we went wrong throughout history. Discover what caused the Great Tragedy and if possible, prevent it. There are only 10 ambassadors actively serving at any given time. As a Minder, Mina, is Ziniz''s soul responsibility. Mina is also a Nordic, though his bloodline dates back to before the "Great Tragedy", he was born on the surface of Earth''s Moon in the year 42,276, nearly 10,000 years before Present time. He was not assigned or ordered to come to the future. However, during an "Alteration" in a past timeline, Mina and his team, along with his previous Minder, were ambushed and he was the only survivor. Barely gripping to life, he managed to return to his time where everything had changed due to the "Alteration''s" failure. The universe he once knew, was no longer a possibility. So he left, to the future to build a new life and a new team. Mina is in his late 70''s with golden blonde hair down to his shoulders that he puts in a loose ponytail. He has a short beard and his eyes are as you would expect from Nordic ancients, large and blue as the sky. He is nearly 6 foot tall with an athletic body, fast reflexes, strong muscles, and an attitude that demanded respect. However, The memory of his nonexistent reality haunts him on a constant. Nordics have a life expectancy of roughly 200 years. So, by traditional Nordic standards, he is considered to be in the prime of his life. However, due to his birth year, in the present, he is a well respected elder.


    <u>Dim kla </u>


    Highly telepathic neuroscientist that was born underneath the surface of mars. Dim is a Small Grey. This, his 4th body, stands only 4 foot tall with an extremely thin limbs, his head and eyes are larger than that of the talls and just as grey and dark. His mouth is nearly non existent, as he never speaks through it. It is merely for the consumption of liquid nutrients required by his race for survival. He communicates solely through telepathy. Dim is Mina''s go to advisor and lead researcher. He is also in charge of overseeing all "primitive" human operations. Such as abductions, inseminations, and memory alteration. Dim is the Leading expert on the "primitive" human. Dim is an old soul, quite literally. Small greys have the highest understanding of physics and life as we know it. Their technology allows them to transfer consciousness between hosts, ultimately preventing the death of incredible minds such as Dims. They do not fear, they do not wonder, they study, and they create. 100% of the time. Small greys are considered the hardest working race in the universe. This, makes Dim very obedient. He loves his work and will do whatever is asked of him without question. Dim admires and respects Mina, as they have been going on "Alterations" together for nearly 30 years.If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    <u>Jarka Unfou</u>


    Ziniz''s bunkmate, competitor, and, close confident throughout the 20 years of Minder training. Jarka, is also from a race of tall greys. However, she comes from a lineage that has a more reptilian appearance. Her skin, rather than being a Grey like Ziniz''s lineage, has a more brownish green tint to it. Her skin is hard to the feel and she has yellow eyes. Standing at just a couple inches shorter than seven feet her head is also much more proportional to her flawless physique. She was a year older than Ziniz and never talked about her family. Her people have never been too involved with the affairs of the many races that evolved after the Great Tragedy. Wasn''t so much the case before the Tragedy however. They are most commonly known to be a violent and antagonistic race, always searching for conflict or contest. This trait is a major factor in her and Ziniz''s 20 year competition to be the better minder. She is faster and more intuitive than he is and is not afraid to get get her hands dirty. She also possesses a special set of skills specific to her lineage. She can shape-shift into the form of another humanoid being. Making her a master infiltrator and manipulator. Her race has been known through time to have been involved with many sinister mishaps in human history. Some history books dating all the way back to the ancient times of fossil fuels and the evolution of technology at the turn of the 20th century state that "reptile like humanoids" had infiltrated governments and stirred unnecessary conflicts for a millennia. Today, there are whispers that the Reptilians were the cause of the great tragedy. Because of these whispers, Reptilian species of Greys were never recruited into the Minder Program out of fear of espionage and further destruction to the current reality. Jarka, is the first ever reptilian Graduate of Minder training.


    <u>Reglot Aso</u>


    Reglot is not of any human decent. She is part of the Manti that was discovered on mars by the first human settlers. The Manti are a highly intelligent and sophisticated species. They were called Manti by the first settlers because their appearance is similar to that of a praying mantis. Reglot is no exception. She stood roughly eight feet tall, if you count the tops of her antennae, her legs bend backwards and she moves similar to the way that an ostrich would. Her arms are long, longer than her hind legs, and she has to consistently hold them in front of her chest so as not to drag on the floor. Her eyes are large and bulbous with large black dots in the center atop her fairly thin structured skull. Her mouth was a group of flapping feelers as if she had stuck a sea anemone in her mouth and had the tentacles dangling down. The Manti, like the small greys, Do not speak any audible languages. Instead they communicate via telepathy or they use their antennae when speaking to their own kind. She weighs close to nothing and can pick up items that are much heavier than she is. She, is Dims Mars contact. She does not enjoy the experience of time travel. She has never known a world outside of Mars. She is intrigued by the evolved humans. She enjoyed studying them. She does not know how old she is because the Manti don''t pay any attention to time, and nobody has ever seen a Manti die outside of combat. However, she claims she remembers seeing the humans before the evolution to the greys and she wanted to help them learn the secrets of their near extinction. So, when Dim invited her to work for him at his lab. She jumped on the idea.


    <u>Henry Black</u>


    <u></u>


    Henry is a mystery, because Henry, is a primitive. A shadow. He is a name created in speculation out of wonder. His actual name is unknown. He appears to be North American. Nobody really knows how or why he is here. He arrives without warning, dressed in a tailored suit and tie, Clean shaven, short military buzz cut, with dark sunglasses. Sometimes he is accompanied by another man in similar attire. Sometimes he appears to be armed with a primitive style pistol holstered on his waist. Always remaining in the shadows as if he is a phantom. Most don''t believe that he is real. Nobody had seen or encountered any "Primitives" in this reality for tens of thousands of years. Some say that he is a decendant of one of the lost survivor craft that lost contact after the Great Tragedy. Others, believe him to be an ambassador from an alternate timeline. Truth is, there is little to no information about him. Yet, nearly all in the research community have seen or heard of Henry Black.

 Chapter 1, Graduation.

    <h1><u>Ziniz: The Minder</u></h1>


    <u>Avril 23, 52065. Minder training facility, Julien III, Zedian Globular Star cluster.</u>


    <u>0345hrs</u>


    It doesn''t feel like 20 years. This is my life. I don''t know anything else. I have been here since I was a child. I barely remember what Tranquility looks like anymore. Last time I was there I was still getting homeschooled by mother while father was away on constant Alterations in the past. Hard to believe that after 44,000 years, we still don''t understand what exactly caused the Great Tragedy. Even with all the technology and all the Alterations the ambassadors have done over the years, we still are nowhere closer to where we were when it happened. What we do know, these days, is that the alterations have been more risky than ever and Ambassadors and Minders are dropping dead like flies. Why?


    I shouldn''t be thinking about this. I have to prepare for the ceremony. The commander wants every one in formation, in uniform, and ready to graduate by 0800 so that we can visit our families and get our assigned Ambassadors at 0900. I better wake up Jarka. She has been sleeping in later than normal lately. I sit up and the lights on my side of the room automatically flicker on as the sensors detect my movement. Nearly everything was automated here.


    "Hey snake eyes!" I yelled as I tossed one of my boots at her head. Her arm snapping up and snatching it right out of the air before it made contact. She giggled and said, eyes still closed, "Oh Zinny, I really do enjoy your attempts, however, we both know i will always be better than you" she then dropped the boot and opened one of her eyes and grinned then concluded with, "At everything"


    "Yeah yeah Jarka, 20 years in this damn place with you and its always been this way. Why cant you just be happy that you were even selected for this? You know everyone blames your kind right? You''re lucky I am here to wake you up. Sleep in any longer and you''ll be the first Reptilian to NEVER graduate" I respond with a cocky smirk as I enter into the lavatory to splash some water on my face. I could hear Jarka making some snide remarks underneath her breathe as I stare at myself in the mirror. I''m nervous.


    All the classes, the field exercises, the exams, the bloody nights in the combat arena, the sickness from psy-ops training, and the endless reassembly drills in the past, had all lead up to this day. As I examine my face in the mirror I imagine my father. The Last time I seen or spoke to him was 5 years ago at the quarterly banquet. He wasn''t looking good. The Collective had asked him to step down and forced him to retire about 8 years ago due to his deteriorating physical and mental health.


    My father went through this training himself nearly 70 years ago and ended up being assigned to a pretty wild ambassador who was more of a thrill seeker than a representative of our time. He would always request the wildest Alterations that would have my father nearly killed every mission. Roughly 12 years into my training, His ambassador was killed during a routine alteration and my father was never the same. He refuses to admit it, but im positive that those Alterations and that day, whatever happened, have greatly contributed to his declining health. I hope he is still alive and healthy enough to see me get my assigned Ambassador. He understood that there was to be no outside contact with the world while we trained here. I know whatever the case is, mother will make him come. I know it.


    I lean my head down and splash a bit more water in my face. As I raise my head, my gaze returns to the mirror, I see my father, standing behind me. I froze, watching, unsure what I was seeing. I notice he begins to smile as his eyes turn yellow and his gray skin turns green and his body shifts and returns to its near perfect female physique. Jarka stands in the mirror behind me, laughing.


    "Oh you should have seen the look on your face Zinny!" She says still laughing, as she slowly strides back toward her sleeping area. "You need to forget about the family Zin. That shit will do nothing but fuck with your head. That''s what I''m here for, Remember?" She concluded, glancing over her shoulder winking at me.


    "Fuck you Jarka! You know my father is ill. Why must you play games?" I respond as I approached our room''s Materializer. A machine that materializes tight fitted, nearly indestructible clothing onto the user. An ultra thin piece of armor.


    "Dress uniform" I say aloud. Arms held out at the sides and legs slightly spread. A bright light shines from the ceiling above me as two robotic arms begin to drop down and twist around me. Faster and faster they spin as the light gets brighter and brighter. The silk like material attaching to my body as if being sprayed by the worlds thickest spray paint. No sounds other than the humming of the arms as they start to decrease speed and the light shuts off and the arms rise back up towards the ceiling. Leaving me warm and secure in my official Minder Dress uniform. I step towards the mirror to inspect my uniform and allow Jarka to use the machine.


    Minder Dress uniforms were not too much different from their combat uniforms. Black as night, with the number three in obsidian black Roman numerals on the right shoulder. My initials "ZK" stitched into the right breast with The Collective''s insignia on the left shoulder. The uniform had a mid high turtle neckline so as to keep the jugular protected from the possibility of a throat slash. The trousers, in the dress uniform, are a little bit tighter than the standard combat uniform which is somewhat loose to allow room for carrying equipment during an Alteration. The dress uniform is tight and professional. The only item of clothing that wasn''t adorned automatically, is the dress shoes and boots. Apparently, the fine art of spit shining is a practice that will never fade through time.


    After finishing up our morning routines, cleaning out our lockers, and gathering our belongings for departure. Jarka and I proceeded towards the dining facility to enjoy a final breakfast with the group. Our last meal together. It was quiet. None of us knew what to expect. We haven''t had any contact with any other beings outside of this facility for two decades. I glance around at the other recruits, my brothers and sisters. There wasn''t many of us left. Only 12 of us had survived.


    The training was rigorous and most of it took place in real time scenarios. The only way to leave Julien III after Minder selection was by graduation, or by death.


    In the beginning there were 30 of us total. Hand picked by The Collective between the ages of five and nine, solely based on the observation of our physical endurance, growth rates, resiliency, and intelligent quotients. Most of the recruits and been born in Tranquility like myself. A couple were orphans with no real home. Unfortunately, the other talls and I did not get along due to my lighter complexion and Nordic eyes. I was a freak. To the other recruits, I was a mut. A half breed. "You''re not Better than a dirty Reptilian" they would say to me. It''s no wonder Jarka and I felt so comfortable with each other. We were both shunned as outcasts by the others within the first couple of months, to include the others that weren''t from Tranquility! They were all Nordic, hailing from a number of different settlements throughout the galaxy that view me as an abomination that should never exist. Racism and prejudice on an interstellar scale. I was glad to be getting out.


    Jarka and I finished our meals and returned our trays to the cleaning unit for sterilization. As we walk out the door we noticed our commander walk around the corner towards us on the far end of the corridor.


    "Enjoy the last Julien meal gentlemen?" He says aloud. Still approaching us. "Today I can finally get rid of your sorry asses! I retire this week! You''re my last class!" We stopped and stood at attention as he reached us. He was wearing his dress uniform as well. He was a Tall Grey who had been an instructor on Julien for nearly 100 years. His uniform was a navy blue with a golden III on his shoulder. No initials on his jacket. Just an array of medals and awards for the lifelong list of meritorious military service. He was much happier today than he normally is. He had mentioned his plan to retire for some time. We all thought that he was joking with us.


    "Was a damn fine meal Commander! Damn fine! I almost wish that I could stay for another, Sir!" Jarka barked with a hint of sarcasm. She began to smirk at me when the commander slapped her on the shoulder and said, "Jarka get off my ass, I know better, At ease you two. Jarka, could you give us a minute?" The commander waves for Jarka to leave. "No problem commander, Ill see you later Zinny!" She says walking away.


    "Zin, you mind walking with me for a bit? I have something I would like to talk to you about." The commander asks as he places his arm around my shoulders. "Yessir, top. What''s going on?" I replied, a little confused.


    "I have been in charge of your training the last two decades. You are an excellent minder and a highly intelligent individual." He began to say with a smile. "Now, you know that its against policy to have a personal relationship between the staff and the trainees. We are completely forbidden to converse with you about your lives in any way outside of training. However, Fuck it, I''m retiring and The Collective can burn for all I care" He continued on. I was even more confused now than when he started. He was right. It is against policy to have a conversation like this.


    "Commander, I''m sorry, But I don''t understand" I interrupted.


    "Zin, I trained your father." He snapped. Almost angrily. "He was the top of his class. An incredible being with unlimited potential. Did you know that?" He asked me as we reached the far end of the corridor. "Did you know he became a close friend of mine shortly after graduation?" He asked before I could answer. "Have you heard?"


    "Commander, I was unaware. My father never spoke about his training or his life to me. He has always been a very serious man in my life. Why are you telling me this? Have I heard what?" I asked him. My mind racing with questions.


    "Oh Zin, I''m not supposed to tell you this!" The commander said. His face softening to a very saddened expression. He turns to the wall and angrily throws his fist into it. He then turns to me and says, "Not out loud Zin, I''m going in". He looks me in the eyes and I begin to hear and feel a deep thumping within my skull as the commander telepathically enters my mind. Almost as if a flurry of muffled explosions were taking place deep within my brain. He was in, and I can hear his voice as if they were my own thoughts. "Your father passed away. Roughly three years ago now."


    <h1><u>Jarka: The Reptilian </u></h1>


    <u>0700 hrs, Ziniz and Jarka''s quarters. </u>


    The door slides shut with a whoosh behind me as I plop down on my area and close my eyes. "I''m so fucking ready to be out of here!" I think aloud. I lay there and begin to replay the events of the last twenty years in my head. Laughing at all the easy tests and combat drills. Waste of a life, if you ask me, but I sure as hell wasn''t dying here. I never could understand what was so exciting about all this Minder nonsense. Hell, I didn''t even want to be a Minder! Who cares why the humans lost earth. It was my home now and I was perfectly fine in the Slums of New Oor. Even at eight years old, I had a pretty good thing going on. My parents? Who the hell knows what happened to those shit heads. I didn''t need them. I had the slums to teach me how to be strong. "I wonder if they even look or smell the same? The Slums."


    I replay the day that I was selected to become a minder as my mind drifts into a meditative state.Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    I remember clearly, It was raining and I had no luck at all in my quest to steal some food that day. I had been zigzagging in and out of the legs that filled the busy market streets all day long attempting to steal some fruit here and there, only receiving multiple smacks to the head as a result of me getting caught. When I finally called it quits and began walking back to my box-house, I ran into a strange man.


    I hadn''t even seen the man before running straight into his legs. I remember looking up at this, towering, man. He was not Reptilian, and he was wearing a strange, all black suit with sunglasses. He didn''t belong. However, in his hand, he carried a bag filled with fresh fruits and bloody meat from the market. I''ll never forget that man. Whoever he was.


    "You look hungry Jarka" The man said to me in a stern, deep voice. "Take these and eat well little one, you''re going to need it" He handed me the bag and I was so happy that I didn''t even notice him disappear, when I looked up to thank him, he was nowhere in sight. It was the following morning that I woke up on board a Collective owned craft. Surrounded by these tall Grey assholes. My head, filled with small muffled explosions as their voices entered my head telling me "You''re alright Jarka, You''re alright. Sleep now" over and over again I heard it.whatever happened It must have made me pass out, because the next thing I remember, I''m standing in a group of other kids with this, blue eyed freak standing beside me. "Fucking Zinny, what a piece of...", my concentration is broken by the swish of the door shooting open.


    Ziniz steps in at an alarmingly fast pace. I could see he was upset about something. Better not to pry right now.


    "You ready to do this Jarka?" He asks me as he starts to pick up his bags. "It is 0745 now and we are about to be late. Let''s go" he concludes as he walks out just as fast as he walked in. I hadn''t even noticed that nearly an hour had past since I left him in the hall with the commander.


    "Okay, Okay, Im moving. Ill be right behind you" I respond. Sliding off of my bed and throwing my bags over my shoulder and taking one final sweep around the room. "Goodbye jail cell" I say quietly to myself as I turn around and head through the corridor. I decided to sprint so as to catch up to Ziniz.


    By the time Ziniz and I reached the Auditorium, where the ceremony would be held, the rest of the graduates were already headed towards the stage to take their seats. Ziniz and I threw our bags into the others'' line of luggage and stopped to catch our breathe a few feet away from the Commander.


    "Cutting it close, Minders." He says. "Seats are already filled. Ziniz, your mom is out there. Look sharp and proud. Do your best to forget what we talked about for the next hour okay? Jarka, try not to be a smart ass will you? Now get out there." The commander then opens the curtain on the left hand side of the stage and we step in. We''re the last two on stage. Yet, the top two students in class.


    As we slowly strolled across the stage, we could feel the eyes as they watched in awe. Ziniz and I were by far the oddballs in the room. I guess to see two beings that look like we do, graduating the minder training, was quite the grand spectacle. I could not believe how many people were here. I felt as if I was a famous entertainer, with thousands of heads staring, waiting for me to dance or sing. However, this was not the case.


    These are a combination of family members, military officials, political figures, and Ambassadors from across the galaxy. Some, from across time. I don''t know a single person in here. There were three levels of seating for the attendees. Like an opera house. Not a single seat was empty. Finally, after what felt like an eternity. Ziniz and I made it to our seats, closest to the podium. Ziniz took a seat and just before I could begin to bend my legs, I noticed him, and froze.


    The man in the black suit. From 20 years ago. Is standing in the far back on the first level, near one of the exits. I''m confused. I start to tremble as Ziniz taps my hand. I turn to him. "Sit" he says with a whisper.


    "I know, I..." I whispered as I turn back to the man. Gone again. "Never mind." I sit down. Confused. I look to Ziniz.


    "You good Jarka?" He asks.


    I whisper, clearly disturbed. "I''m fine"


    <h1><u>Mina: The Ambassador </u></h1>


    <u>0820hrs, Third Row, first level, Auditorium on Julien III. </u>


    This is my twelfth time at one of these ceremonies since I got my title, and never has the auditorium been so full of spectators. Most times I can recognize most of the faces. I don''t know hardly any of these faces. Apart from the President of the collective, his Secretary, and roughly five other Ambassadors. I couldn''t begin to guess. No matter, I''m not here for them.


    I have had to choose eight Minders the last two decades alone. From this time, as well as from the past. At this point it''s a pretty monotonous process. Especially when you already know that these children are all still new bloods. No matter what kind of training they get. This job isn''t getting any easier and the universe seems to be changing with each alteration. I wonder if they have been telling this to the new recruits? Nah, I doubt it.


    The commander had just started reading off the accomplishments of graduate eight. Who was a Nordic from the Orion system. "Nothing special", I thought. "Just another sad child headed to the slaughter." What could be so great about this boy anyways? His brain? His skin? His combat skills? Ugh, I don''t care. I hated this part of the job. Choosing your "dog" out of a litter of other, ridiculously unqualified ass hats was as useful as a picking the perfect spoon out of a drawer with five of the exact same spoons in it. Pointless. So, needless to say, I''m not too involved.


    "It would be nice if they would serve some wine in this damn place, right?" I say to Dim, who was in the seat to my left, as I fidget with the my hair. "I mean, they are all the same. Bunch of fresh faces finally getting to see the universe for the twisted, evil place, that it really is."


    Dim, continuously stares straight at the stage. His words enter my mind with ease and flutter across my thoughts as if they were my own. We''ve been working together so long there is no need for the thumping of an imprint anymore.


    "Mina, forget the wine and look. Doesn''t that Minder look familiar?" His voice states firmly. I was sitting in my chair, leaning back, relaxed, and as if I had no interest at all in the events taking place when I noticed him. "Interesting" I said as I slowly sit up. Forgetting the wine entirely. The tall Grey in the second to last chair in the group, beside that reptile. Dim, was right. He did look familiar. Why?


    I could feel Dim''s thoughts changing as I sit up in my seat. I''m used to this. We are always in each other''s heads. So without speaking a word, I thought, "His eyes? They''re Nordic? Odd. He looks angry. Can you hear anything in his head from here?".


    Dim''s eyes shrink with a squint. "No, I can''t. He is thinking to fast, and..." his eyes open wide again as his words rush Into my head. "Now he knows I''m trying to listen, look" I was already watching as the boy''s eyes were looking directly into mine.


    "I would like to now recognize our top graduates, Ziniz Kagta and Jarka Unfou. Please, step forward." The Commanders voice pierces through my concentration as I watched the two stand up. He approaches the podium, the auditorium briefly filling with applause as the commander begins his remarks.


    "Ziniz Kagta, Is a unique individual. Coming from both Grey and Nordic parents, he has displayed extraordinary ability and incredible discipline. Don''t let his appearance fool you ladies and gentlemen. He has clearly received the greatest gifts from both of his parents. He is graduating today, along with his bunkmate Jarka Unfou, with a 98% grade point average. Showing exemplary growth in the arts of strategic planning and self discipline. I now present to you, Minder Ziniz. Of the 1475th Minder class of Julien III." The commander then turns to Ziniz and shakes his hand. While he was presenting a plaque, I noticed he gave him a slight nod as well, before continuing on.


    I watch the boy closely as he walks off stage during the Commanders remarks on Jarka.


    "Jarka Unfou, Well, what can I say about her? For starters, Jarka here is the first ever Reptilian to have been selected to join the Minders. So today, she is making history." I do not care to hear the rest. I am too interested in the boy. Ziniz Kagta. Kagta? Why does it seem so familiar to me? I sit back again and begin rubbing my beard in the process of thought. When I turned to Dim to ask about the boy, I noticed that he was watching Jarka very intensely. I tried to communicate with him but he has blocked me out. He never blocks me out!


    Curious of what he was so intensely involved in, I redirect my attention back to the stage. Jarka was stepping down now and the ceremony should be coming to a close. Dim''s attention still tightly focused on Jarka. Her gaze now returning his. I hear his voice enter my head. "Listen" the thought so loud it nearly made me jump. I don''t believe anyone was prepared for what the commander was going to say next.


    "Ladies and gentlemen, Greys and Nordic of all walks of life. You have all been invited here today for a special announcement..." he started, he was nervous. I had never seen the commander in this state. It was unsettling. I slide slowly to the edge of my seat and give him my undivided attention. "...I now present to you the President of the Collective Jona kildon." The room begins to roar as the Commander waves his right arm, with a bow, as the President stepped towards the podium. He is a Nordic man with extremely pale skin. Tall, lengthy body, with long golden hair down to his shoulders. He wears an exquisite suit with a blue rose on his pocket. He stands there for roughly 15 seconds as the crowd wales on. Only to seize once he raises his hand, middle and pointer finger extended. As if commanding silence. He speaks.


    "Thank you all very much for the generous applause. Unfortunately, I regret to announce that, this, is the last class of Minders..." The room started to rumble with the murmurs and mumbles of the crowd as he presses on.


    "...The reason for this decision has not come easy. The Collective has been fully determined to study the events of our past for a millennia. We have exhausted an endless number of resources, as well as, put a great deal of time into the Ambassadors and the Minders. However, with the cooperation of the Central University of Tranquility, we have been observing some strange occurrences throughout our current timeline..." The murmuring stops and the president now has the full attention of every pair of eyes in the building.


    "...Before I continue, I would like to address the graduates" He turns to the graduates now sitting in the front row. "We have not been honest with you. It was for the best. We need you to be sharp and without distractions. Which is why we were unable to tell you that, you are the last remaining Minders in our time. All the others have died. Also, only six qualified Ambassadors are currently in service..." The Graduates all began to look back and forth at each other. Panic rose in a couple of them. I noticed that Ziniz was just staring at the floor. Jarka, well, it looks to me like she is laughing. The room fills with fear and worry. The President''s voice breaks through once more, he is once again addressing the room as a whole.


    "... We do not know why this is happening. We do not know who is responsible. However, The scientific community of both the Collective and the Central University, have come to the understanding that the Alteration Program has had an unexpected affect on the universe..."


    He begins to pace around the stage. A massive holograph flickers into view on stage. It is a plain, long white line with a large and bold number one spinning slowly above it


    "... You will notice in the holograph, this line and the number one..." He states, pointing a holopointer at the line. (Holopointer is like a laser pointer, only it emits a holographic image of a line)


    "...This represents our current timeline. Where everything that we know as history, has taken place. We do not know exactly when our timeline began, or when it will end. This is OUR reality. Now, these lines here represent something else entirely..." The holograph begins to sprout multiple lines from different areas all along the original line. All going in a direction away from the original for a bit before shooting into the same linear direction. Each line was a different color, as well as, carried a smaller number spinning above them. I counted at least 50 different lines.


    "...These lines all represent an entirely new timeline. An entirely new reality with a new course of history. These are only the ones that we know about so far..." The crowd is silent. He points the pointer at a red line closest to the beginning. "...This, as far as we know, is where the first alternative timeline began. It''s roughly the same time as the first Ambassadors'' assassinations. According to our research and the reports from the few Ambassadors that we have sent into these timelines. We have discovered that we are not the only timeline to have created an Ambassador program..." He turns to the graduates again. "...Or, a Minder program..." The holograph flickers off and he positions himself in the center of the stage.


    "...This discovery has shaken the Central University to its core. Teams of the most renowned scientists in the universe have been gathered to further the study. Now, that you are all up to date. It is necessary, in order to better understand this phenomenon, that we change the way the Ambassador Program operates. We can not afford to lose more men to an unknown enemy. Therefore, starting today, the 12 of you will be assigned two Minders to each Ambassador for extra security. Your Ambassadors are going to be briefed before assignment while you visit your families and in turn, will brief you later this afternoon. Congratulations on this great accomplishment and good luck out there Minders. You are the best we got, Dismissed" The President concluded and turned to leave stage. The other officials following closely behind.


    I slowly turn my head toward Dim. He turns to me. Both of our eyes, wide, and locked to each other. His voice appears in my train of thought. "I told you this would happen. It was only a matter of time. This is not good!"


    I turn back to the stage and think aloud, "Not good at all."

 Chapter 2, Assignment

    <hr>


    <u>Ziniz</u>


    <u>Avril 23, 52065 1000hrs, Family Reception area, Julien III. </u>


    "Oh my little Ziniz, I''m so proud of you!" My mother says to me as I walked towards her. Tears in her big blue eyes. She was indeed, proud. It was hard to not smile in return as I wrapped my arms around her. My mind is still racing with questions about my father. I try my hardest to ignore it, but the look on my mothers face was a clear indication that my father''s death must have been hard on her. She appears to have aged 20 years since I seen her last, at the quarterly banquet.


    She stood roughly five foot tall, her hair had changed from her golden blonde to a shining silver that flowed down to her mid back. Her head was proportionate to her body. Not large like father and I. She resembled that of 40 year old woman. Though she was easily 90 at this point. She wore a long blue dress. Similar looking to a jellaba that you would find in primitive Islam cultures. It had extravagant designs on it that resembled that of a star cluster. I have never seen her wear anything like it before. She was beautiful.


    After a few minutes of heart felt embracing. I could hear her start to speak, "Ziniz, I''m so sorry. Your father, he..." I placed my hands on her face. I swallowed, "It''s okay mother, The Commander told me before the ceremony." She fights through a painful smile.


    "He broke the rules?" She says as she wipes the tears from her face. "He always was close with your father. Right up to the very end." We turned and I guide my mother towards a table in the corner of the room. "He and your father loved each other. They even spent a couple days together before he passed" she continues as I pull a chair out from the table and allow her to take a seat. I stopped as the words left her lips. "What do you mean? The Commander visited father before his death? Why?" I asked her, confused. I pull out my chair and place it in front of her. I take my seat, waiting for her response.


    I watched as my mother¡¯s face shifted from sadness to anger. She turns her head to the left and places her palm on her chin with her fingers over her mouth. She is fighting tears. ¡°Mother?¡± I ask, raising my hand towards her face. She turns and grabs my hand before I am able to reach hers. Her eyes looking directly into mine. Her words screamed through my ears like a train slamming to a stop. ¡°Zin, your father¡¯s death was no accident, nor was it caused naturally, The Commander is the only other person who knew.¡±


    I sit back in my chair. My mind racing with questions. Anger, filling my insides, as I flash back to the words that the Commander spoke to me after breakfast.


    After he imprinted and informed me about my father''s death. We communicated telepathically a great deal. About a number of topics. Ranging from my father and his retirement, to the alterations and the strange things going on. He broke policy and opened up to me in that hour and the things that he told me all sounded like ramblings. I could not understand why he was telling me what he did. If I¡¯m being entirely honest with myself, I was so shocked of the news of my father that I hadn¡¯t been able to focus on much else that he said. It¡¯s all a blur. However, the last words said at the end of his imprint is what bothers me now.


    ¡°Your father knew he was going to die. He never told anyone, but your mother and myself. She can tell you more.¡± He said to me before grabbing me by the shoulders, breaking his imprint, and saying to me aloud. ¡°You are the key Zin. I don¡¯t know why, but your parents are intelligent, and your father repeatedly told me that you were created by them to ¡°fulfill a great purpose.¡± Don¡¯t fail him and don¡¯t fail us. Now go! We need you.¡± The words stayed with me throughout the entire ceremony. It was only the sight of my mother that had the power to break the thought.


    ¡°Mother!¡± I snapped as I force my way out of thought. ¡°I have so many questions¡± I sit up in my chair, ¡°What do you mean his death was no accident? What else do I need to know about my father? Why did the Commander say that I was the key? Key to what?¡± The words stumbled from my lips as my emotions begin to get the better of me. My body started to tremble. I¡¯m furious, I¡¯m confused, and l¡¯m hurt.


    My mother grabs my hand, her soft, pale hand was tiny in comparison to mine. She shifts her attention behind me at the rest of the room. I watch, as her eyes dart back and forth rapidly, scanning the room, before locking up with mine again. She slowly leans forward and says ¡°Zin, you need to imprint me. There are some things you must know and it¡¯s not safe to speak about them aloud.¡±


    ¡°What? Imprint you? Are you sure?¡± I quickly react. I look around the room real quick. ¡°Nobody is paying attention mother. Why wouldn¡¯t it be safe?¡±. Her eyes become stern and demanding ¡°Ziniz, do it! Now¡± realizing that I had no other choice. I begin the imprint.


    The thumping starts as I enter my mother¡¯s mind. The process for doing the imprint is slightly different than then it is when you are the one being imprinted. Not so much thumping in the imprinter¡¯s mind as the imprinted, and the one doing the imprinting has to go through a series of thoughts and memories before they can enter into the mind. In fact, one of the most intense areas of training that we had to endure during the Minder program, was the manifestation of stronger thoughts. Sort of like a firewall for the mind. My mother, had not tried to resist in any way. I didn¡¯t have to try at all to enter. When I did, she immediately started to communicate.


    ¡°Zin, my child, I need you to pay attention.¡± Her voice, like my own thoughts, manifesting within my mind. ¡°I know that this is all coming as a shock to you my son, but your father and I needed you to remain focused. We could have told you what we know through the Commander. We just couldn¡¯t risk you getting found out.¡±


    ¡°Found out? Mother, what the hell are you talking about?¡± I think. My thought, much louder than hers!


    ¡°Calm down, It would be best to just show you what I know Zin.¡± Her words were followed by a brief pause. During which I see the memory of a star-gate opening in the kitchen of my childhood home, my father steps through, covered in blood and soot. His right arm gripping his abdomen, he is applying pressure to a wound. It appears to be a stab wound. I watch from my mother¡¯s perspective as she runs and catches him before he falls to the ground. The star-gate closing behind him. Her voice overlaying the memory as if she was narrating. ¡°This was the day your father returned from the last alteration he ever did. It was two years after you finished your fist decade of training.¡±


    The images of my mother scrambling to close my father¡¯s wound play out. Blood covering the kitchen floor. My mother panicking and in tears. My father is calm, quite, and aware. He grabs my mother¡¯s arm and says,


    ¡°They ambushed us. There¡¯s no one else left. I know what happened, I know.¡± He goes unconscious as my mother injects a foam into his abdomen to seal the wound. The image goes black and immediately another begins. Fading into my mind along with my mother¡¯s words once more. This time, I see my father, sitting in his chair at home. His face is blank and lifeless. My mother places a plate of food in front of him. He doesn¡¯t respond. ¡°After that day, your father was like this nearly the entire time. He wouldn¡¯t eat, he wouldn¡¯t speak, and he almost never slept. Sometimes, this would happen.¡± Her voice says as my father begins to scream and shake uncontrollably. Knocking the food across the room and falling to the floor. His head smacking the wall, blood flowing down the side of his face and onto the floor. It was horrifying to watch. My mother, is trying to help him but he is shaking too much. Finally he stops. His body goes limp, his mouth and eyes, wide open. Strange yellow liquid seeps like tears from the corners of his eyes.


    ¡°Mother...¡± I interrupt the memory and it fades to black. My vision return to the room. ¡°... that is exactly what happened our ancestors. I learned about it in training. Is that what killed him? How could it happen to him? How could you speak to him?¡±


    ¡°You know your father. He was stubborn and extremely secretive about his time in the service. Hell Ziniz, your father and I met in the past during an alteration. I was studying a primitive human with some greys during an abduction and he and his Ambassador arrived shortly to talk with my superior.¡± She laughs aloud. ¡°The bastard wouldn¡¯t even tell me what they were doing there. It was one of the things that i admired most about him. It was what made him such an honorable man.¡± She sighs. ¡°He would not speak outside of an imprint. He wouldn¡¯t tell me what happened Ziniz. All he would say is, ¡°it isn¡¯t safe, it isn¡¯t safe¡±. I tried and tried to get it out of him but the answer was always the same. It wasn¡¯t until the commander came to visit that your father gave me some information.just before his death.¡± She paused. ¡°He said that the Collective might be involved and if he had told me sooner, they could have had both of us killed. So he stayed silent, he also gave me this, for you.¡±


    She reaches into one of her pockets and pulls out a small coin shaped device. Silver, with a small red button in the center and a small lens above the button. A holographic recorder. ¡°He told me that you would understand when the time is right and you need to watch it in private. Nobody else can see this.¡± I hear as she places the device in my hand.


    I didn¡¯t know what to say. I took the holographic recorder. I looked back into my mother¡¯s eyes. She starts to speak again but i quickly interrupt.


    ¡°I don¡¯t need to hear anymore today.¡± I released my imprint, placed the recorder in my pocket, and leaned in to hug my mother. ¡°Father is gone, Im sure he tells me what I need to know. So, ill learn more when I watch this. We don¡¯t have much time left before my assignment mother, Lets talk about you.¡±


    <u>Jarka</u>


    <u>1040hrs, far corner table, Reception area. Julien III</u>


    I sat there, looking at the other graduates, showered with love and praise from all of their families. I don¡¯t even know what that feels like. Not like I wanted it anyways. I don¡¯t need the distractions. During the quarterly banquets Ziniz would just invite me over to eat with him and his parents. Not this time however, I don¡¯t see his father anywhere. Maybe that¡¯s why he is upset? They have been staring at each other in that corner over there for a while. I want to know what¡¯s up, but at the same time, I just want my damn assignment so that i can leave this fucking place! I have had a couple of members of the Collective try to speak to me but I just hissed them away. I don¡¯t want to talk to those fancy assholes either. I want out! ¡°Fuck it!¡± I say out loud as I jump up, my chair sliding away from me causing a few of the others in the room to glance my way. I ignore them as I walk out of the reception area and into the courtyard.


    The Auditorium where the graduation was held, was a massive structure positioned on the eastern end of an even larger rectangular complex. It had a large rounded entrance atop a small flight of stairs at the end of a 300 meter courtyard in the center of the complex. Fountains, line the center of the field. Statues of former Minders, Ambassadors, and other immortalized military heroes lining the path on both sides. One side of the field was lined with the living quarters, dining facility, and gymnasium. The other, research buildings, classrooms, and the indoor weapons training facility. The far west end was HQ and the officer¡¯s quarters. Beyond that was the airstrip where The Collective has a large number of craft.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.


    I exited the building and descend the stairs. The fresh air is nice. I walk over towards the nearest bench and have a seat. I lean back, spread my arms, and closed my eyes. I started to think about what the President said about the timelines when a voice broke through and a shadow crept up, darkening my eyelids.


    ¡°Congratulations Jarka. You did it. How does it feel to be a Minder?¡± The voice, deep and slow. I open one eye and begin to say ¡°Please, leave me alo...¡± when i stopped and sat up in my seat so fast i almost fell off. ¡°You!¡± I exclaimed, staring right into the dark sunglasses of the suited man. ¡°Who the fuck are you?¡±


    The strange looking man removes his sunglasses and slips them into his jacket pocket while he gestures that i scoot over so he could take a seat. Before I move, I look around the courtyard. Nobody is out here but us now. I scoot a bit and the man takes a seat. He leans back and throws his right leg over his left knee. I watch. His slow deliberate movements are starting to piss me off.


    ¡°I said, who the fuck are you? Why do you look like a primitive?¡± I demanded.


    ¡°That¡¯s because I, am, a ¡°primitive¡± as you say in this time.¡± he replied. A little too cocky for my liking. ¡°I¡¯m sorry for startling you during the ceremony. I was trying to remain unnoticed.¡± He turned his head and smirked, then continued to speak with a sideways stare. ¡°Quite impressive. Top of the class, flawless combat scores, and your shapeshifting is even better than I expected.¡± He turned to face front again. ¡°They call me Henry. Henry Black. It¡¯s not my real name, but that doesn¡¯t matter. What matters is what happens next.¡±


    ¡°What the hell are you talking about? Are you the reason that I was selected for this shit?!?!¡± I snap clinching a fist. ¡°Answer!?¡±


    ¡°No, I¡¯m not the reason you were selected Jarka. Also, I am not your enemy. So please, calm down. I¡¯m simply a person who is looking out for your best interests. Remember the food I gave you?¡±He stands up and turns to look at me. He smirks at the confusion on my face. ¡°Listen, you¡¯re about to be assigned an Ambassador named Landu Gildon. He is a fool. He is involved with some unsavory people, you¡¯ll learn more soon. Your Minder partner, will be Hans Hill, The Nordic that graduated seventh in your class. You remember him? Of course you do.¡± He pulls the sunglasses from his pocket and puts them back on. ¡°Im telling you this because I need you to survive. Don¡¯t take unnecessary risks for those two.Trust me. We will talk again soon.¡± He turns and walks away. After he takes a few steps, I hear the sounds of people leaving the Auditorium. I glance back for a second and when i look forward again. He is gone.


    ¡°What the fuck was that Jarka?¡± I ask myself, remaining in the seat for a few more minutes. I am not sure what to think at this point. I stand up and turn around to see Ziniz standing by the doorway waving at me.


    ¡°Come on snake eyes! It¡¯s time for our assignment.¡± He yells.


    I turn around, looking in the direction Henry walked. Still confused. I ascend the stairs and enter the Auditorium.


    <u>Mina.</u>


    <u>1110hrs Briefing room, moments before assignment. Julien III.</u>


    The briefing room was small. Roughly the size of a small classroom with three rows of chairs and a podium in the front with a small interactive holo-screen. The remaining Ambassadors consisted of Mina, a Nordic, Landu Gildon, another Nordic born on Orion. Gifton Inrol, A tall grey born on the International space station to Collective parents. Another tall born in tranquility known as Lilan goi (pronounce like the French Roi) and his older brother filan. With the last one being a Reptilian politician by the name of Tacka. They all sat straight and focused in the first row of chairs as the President of The Collective briefed them.


    ¡°...this is why we need you all to remain vigilant and travel with two Minders from now on instead of one.¡± The President says as he brings his briefing to a close. Two members of the Collective walk towards the front of the room. They are each carrying a small box. ¡°Inside these boxes are the new and improved jump gear, and your new Minders¡¯ assignment dossiers. These have been designed to allow for travel, not only into the past, but to the future, and throughout timelines. No longer will you be sent only to the past. We have made them, not only smaller, but faster as well.¡± He continued as they begin to remove silver, cell phone sized blocks from one of the the boxes, the dossiers from the other, to start handing them to Ambassadors. ¡°We need you to find more information of the other timelines to stop the deaths of our men.¡± I look over at Dim. He is standing on the side of the room. Still, like a statue. His head, slightly hunched forward with his lengthy arms at his side. Staring, directly at me the whole time. Greys have always creeped me out with their discipline. Dim was no exception.


    I hear his voice enter my mind as the dossiers are placed in my hand. ¡°New jump gear, we need it. Didn¡¯t have the heart to tell you but our old unit was nearly destroyed during that last ambush in New Oor. Did we get the boy?¡± I blew him off as I opened the dossier to see the name Ziniz Kagta in bold letters on the top of the first page. I smirked as I thought ¡°We did, we got the boy.¡±


    ¡°What about the reptile?¡± Dims words appear serious and inquisitive. ¡°Did we get her too?¡±


    After quickly skimming through Ziniz¡¯s dossier I closed it and opened the other. A young Nordic, named Thern Dol. I reply to Dim, ¡°No, we got some Nordic kid. Says here he is he youngest graduate. Only 23. Not really anything special in comparison to test scores to this Ziniz. Interesting pair these two¡± I shrug and shut the dossiers. ¡°Don¡¯t matter anyway. What¡¯s so important about this reptilian?¡± I ask him. ¡°I¡¯ve noticed you have been showing serious interest in her Dim. That¡¯s not like you.¡±


    I wait for a response as I hear the President say. ¡°Alright, dismissed. Go out and meet your Minders and head out.¡± Relieved, I stand up and start to walk towards Dim and the exit. I¡¯m about two feet away when I hear, ¡°Ambassador Mina, the Commander and I would like a word please...¡±


    I turned around to look at the President. The commander was standing beside him. ¡°... Your grey can go wait out in the lobby.¡± He continues. Dims voice pops into my head. ¡°Strange¡±


    I ignore him as I walk towards them at the front of the room. As soon as the last person leaves the room, the President speaks. ¡°How are you Mina? Been a few years since we seen each other face to face. I¡¯m sorry to hear about your last mission.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m doing good sir, it has indeed been a few years. Well, you know how it goes. Another day, another alteration, and by the sounds of it, another timeline am I right?¡± I respond with a sarcastic overtone as I elbow the commander. Who doesn¡¯t seem to find my attitude entertaining. They knew I didn¡¯t care for the Collective. ¡°What¡¯s this about? I feel special being called after class.¡± I ask.


    ¡°This is about your Minder. Ziniz.¡± The commander steps in. ¡°As you know, this isn¡¯t something that we normally do. However, with the recent loss of all the Minders, we feel this is important for the newest graduates. Especially Ziniz...¡± confused, I listen as the President removes an envelope from his jacket and places it in my hand while the commander continues. ¡°...That is your first assignment. It is in 5 days. Space time. Before this assignment however, you need to take Ziniz to tranquility. His father recently passed away.¡±


    I examined the envelope for a second and was just about to open it when I glanced at the President. He was lightly shaking his head telling me not to open it. ¡°Best to not open that till you reach tranquility Mina.¡± He says before I ask.


    ¡°So what if this kid¡¯s father passed away? What¡¯s the catch? I¡¯ve learned in my years that the Collective is not as up front as they say they are.¡±


    The commander continues, seriously, ¡°His father was a Minder for nearly 50 years. He is the only minder to have ever said the words. ¡°I know what happened¡± After he returned from an alteration where his entire team, including his ambassador, was murdered in an ambush. He was changed forever after that day. He was a valuable asset and he was my dear friend. However, even on his death bed, he refused to tell me the details of what happened. He only wanted his son to be safe. Therefore, we believe that this, Ziniz, May bethe key to finding out exactly what happened to him. So, as sort of an assignment, you are to take him straight to Tranquility for a few days of R&R. Let him go about his business. Let him rediscover his childhood home. Whatever he needs this week. Make sure he gets it, and, try to get to know him during this time as well, your first assignment together is an important one. Is this understood?¡±


    They stand there, patiently waiting for my reply. I mull over the idea for a minute before finally giving a quick nod and saying.


    ¡°Well, I knew something was special about the boy. This, however, you¡¯re right, this is not normal. Normally I just take my new Minders out to get drunk on our first nights together. No better way to bond with a new partner than over good bottle of Orion wine. Okay! We will go straight to Earth.¡± I shoot my hand out to shake the commander¡¯s. ¡°I¡¯ll head out immediately...¡± the commander takes my hand and gives it a firm squeeze, his gaze shifts directly into my eyes as we shake. ¡°...Just do me a favor will you? Don¡¯t bother me for five days. I want my R&R as well.¡± I conclude with a smile as I turn and leave the room.


    *********


    The door shuts behind Mina and the Commander turns to the President.


    ¡°I¡¯ve played my part in your little game. I saw the boy to graduation. Now, I¡¯m done. Im going home like we agreed.¡± He says. His voice, sounding slightly defeated.


    The President cracks a mischievous smirk as he replies with. ¡°I understand this wasn¡¯t easy for you Commander. The Collective greatly appreciates your service.¡± He starts to make his way towards the door. ¡°As agreed, you can return home with full pension and benefits for your years of service. I am obligated to remind you however, that you are not permitted to speak about your service to anyone. At anytime. This was part of the agreement, if you recall?¡±


    The commander straightens himself out ¡°Sir, I am well aware of the terms of my retirement. I am loyal to the Collective and will remain so. I simply want to go home.¡±


    ¡°Good, then, I wish you a happy retirement commander. Dismissed.¡± The President says as he opens the door and steps outside.


    The commander slumps down into a chair, unbuttons his jacket, and leans forward placing his head in his hands. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡±


    <u>Ziniz</u>


    <u>1200hrs Reception area. Julien III</u>


    ¡°It¡¯s been real Snake eyes¡± I say to Jarka as I bring our embrace to a close. ¡°Hopefully we will run into each other soon. Stay safe out there.¡±


    ¡°I hate to admit it Zin, but it¡¯s been nice having a good bunkmate and rival all these years. When we do run into each other again, I¡¯ll buy you a drink.¡± Jarka replies. We shake each other¡¯s hands one final time and turn to part ways.


    Jarka was selected to Mind another Nordic ambassador along with one of the better recruits, in my opinion. She was acting weird when she returned from the courtyard. Typical Jarka, she wouldn¡¯t open up to tell me what bothered her either. Which is unfortunate considering we don¡¯t know when we will see eachother again. Just quiet and serious, until my mother hugged her and gave her a small gift. That really seemed to brighten her spirits. My Ambassador is still in the briefing room.


    I have a seat outside the briefing room beside my new partner. Thern, youngest in the class. Great, I remember helping this kid get through a couple tough training scenarios. Kid is more of a nerd. If I recall correctly, he didn¡¯t excel in much outside IT and, hacking and coding.


    We sat on a row of chairs opposite the door to the briefing room. Near the door there is a gray standing like a statue. ¡°He hasn¡¯t moved a bit since I sat down.¡± Thern says.


    ¡°Really?¡± I ask. ¡°I think he tried to imprint me during the ceremony!¡± I reply before leaning forward and saying ¡°Hey!¡±


    He starts to slightly turn his head as the door opens up and my ambassador steps out. He is not what I expected. Roughly 6¡¯ or more in height, long wavy blonde hair, frizzy beard, and odd flamboyant clothing similar to revolutionary times in Ancient North America. He was a little goofy in the way he walked.


    He closes the door behind him and straightens his back. Thern and I immediately stand and go to attention. Our ambassador starts laughing. ¡°Oh boys, please. At ease that shit. I don¡¯t care about the formalities. I¡¯m Mina, your new boss.¡± He says. Extending his hand towards Thern. His other waving towards the grey. ¡°This little creepy man is my best friend and colleague, Dim.¡±


    Thern shakes his and asks, ¡°Thern, is it?¡± Thern nods. ¡°Well disciplined, don¡¯t bore me boy.¡± He jokes and he turns to me, as I reach out and grab his hand, he says ¡°Ziniz, right? I¡¯m told you¡¯re a special boy. Never in my days as an ambassador have I been given a special assignment because of a Minder.¡±


    ¡°I dont understand sir.¡± I ask, puzzled.


    ¡°Ah, I¡¯ll tell you more on the way to Earth. Come on.¡± He waves for us to follow as he and Dim turn to walk out the door. ¡°Get your bags and tell your mother you¡¯ll see her at home!¡±


    Confused, yet excited. I turn to Thern. We both shrug, and start following behind.