《W.E. WORLD EVOLOVERS》 World Evolvers Chapter One: A Secret Spark Chapter One A Secret Spark Ever since he made the first spark fly from the palm of his hand, hidden deep in his closet night after night attempting to levitate his baseball, the very thought of telling his parents consumed young Temple Road. Would they be proud or maybe they''d be mad at him for practicing on his own? His father had firmly said, ¡°When you want to practice, you must ask me first, and we''ll practice safely together.¡± A secret formed, no harm in a little spark. His dad would surely get over it once he saw his boy levitate the ball. He''d smile and hug Temple, telling him, ¡°I''m so proud of you Temp.¡± He¡¯d even rub his head. Then the thought of his spark and the smile on his father''s face slipped away into nothingness as quickly as it came and he drifted half asleep to the forehead wrinkling scent of pine trees and pancakes. Inhaling fond sweetness from the airTemple''s taste buds danced at the tip of his tongue. Visions flashed through his mind of a family trip when they''d all gone camping by the lake and one of a trip to a white sandy beach and in both thoughts they had their families famous annual vacation breakfast. Temple rolled over and scratched a scar running from his knee to ankle. Remembering how he followed his older brother Tar into grand adventures and serious mischief. His brother didn''t make the trip this year due to his training. Temple knew his own time would soon come enough and was very proud of Tar for being accepted into the Prestigious Master''s Program at the Complex Alternative Communications Facility. Like their father before them, soon his brother Tar, would be called "C.A.C. Master Road¡± and work under their father''s command. With his toes, Temple worked the worn red and blue plaid sheet to the bottom of the bed; then his feet swung to the rough cut pine floor. He looked around wondering where he was. Nothing, not even his pillow looked familiar. Voices coming through the crack under the wooden door, brought it all back, rushing into his memory. "Oh yeah, I can''t believe I almost forgot. We''re in a treehouse, a real tree house."His eyes sprung open, the thoughts of the adventures to come, ran through his little mind. ¡°Wow, This place is better than mom said.¡± Temple looked around at his room taking in the ancient construction of the treehouse. The ceiling was built of bark covered beams, honed smooth on the sides that held the thatched hay roof infused with a smell you can only find when you lay in the middle of a tall grass field on a sunny October morning. The walls stacked from twelve-inch round birch trees supported the beams without thought. Temple couldn''t remember coming in last night. His dad must have carried him in from the car. ¡°I bet I''ll find some great stuff today on our hike, and we¡¯re going to see a real volcano today! I hope I get to go down inside. That¡¯s where I''ll show them, yeah that''s a perfect place.¡± Temple smiled. He knew no one had noticed him practicing, and Temple hadn''t dared told a soul. His ball didn''t levitate much, but he did make it move. Temple was sure of that. The spark had only been the beginning; now he could raise his ball above his palm and had to show his parents. Temple leaped from his bed and scrambled to the door. Running out of his room he entered into the central living room-kitchen area of the treehouse. His mother stood across the room cleaning up at the sink. As Temple approached still crusty eyed, he caught sight of the old log table, tucked around the corner, which held leftovers of the meal Temple waited for patiently every vacation. ¡°Good morning sleepy head. You missed breakfast. I made you a plate, hurry up and eat. We¡¯re still getting ready for the hike to the volcano.¡± Temple''s mother said. ¡°Ok, Mom. Where''s dad?¡± ¡°In the shower, honey.¡± ¡°I''m starving. It looks amazing mom! Grandma would be jealous.¡± Temple pulled up a seat to the table and sipped homemade orange juice. Then picked up the butter he and his mother had made and spread it on a pile of steaming hot, wild blueberry pancakes, the ones with the crispy edges, the ones his mother knew he loved. He proceeded to soak the pancakes with the maple syrup from his grandmother''s backyard, then finally finished his plate up with a piece of thick, smoky bacon. It wasn''t the fact that it tasted so incredibly, utterly, ridiculously delicious. It was that it had all been homemade by himself, his grandmother, and mother. The time they spent together picking the berries and churning the butter, long ago became an old and sacred tradition, a rare treat to find nowadays. Nothing was homemade anymore, well, almost nothing. After stuffing his face with the much-anticipated breakfast, Temple threw on his jacket and ran to the rugged wood door leading out to the deck. Reaching for the door with his right-hand Temple¡¯s left hand bumped something hard in his little coat pocket. ¡°Oh no,¡± he said to himself. He had almost completely forgotten that he brought his baseball. Quickly he pulled it out of his pocket, rubbed it clean, and looked it over carefully. ¡°Don''t let me down.¡± He said very seriously looking back to make sure no one heard him. Then with a half smile, Temple Road shoved the ball deep in his pocket. A pat-pat made sure it was still there, then his hand squeezed around his trusty ball through his jacket, his palm became warmer than normal. He stepped out onto the wrap-around cedar deck and looked over the make-shift branch railing. His hand slid from the ball and fell limply to his side. At the same time, a faint mist swirled from his palm and disappeared, mixing into the air. Peering over the rail, he felt a little dizzy, making him wonder how far away the ground was and not sure if he''d ever climbed a tree that high before or not. Stepping onto the pulley-operated elevator, he wrapped his hands firmly around the thick rope used to pull it up and down. Hand over hand, he carefully lowered himself. On the ground, he called up to the treehouse and pulled the rope bringing the platform up to his parents.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Come on. Let''s go guys!¡± ¡°Come on guys. I''m down here, ready to go!¡± ¡°I''ll be right down honey. I''m just helping Daddy set up his drone,¡± his mother replied. The drone hummed out one of the windows. After a couple of rounds around the treehouse, it turned and headed right at Temple. As the drone approached, he could see his father''s face projected as a hologram. ¡°Temp, I''m going to stay back and get things fine-tuned. I''ll catch up to you and mommy soon with old ¡°D¡± here. Send me some pics when you get there,¡± his father said cheerfully. ¡°D¡± or Detroit was his father¡¯s nickname for the drone. He told Temple he called it that because ¡°D¡± had been the first model to come out of the repurposed automobile manufacturing plant in Detroit. Which now housed the largest drone manufacturing facility in the world. Detroit was made of "good old hybrid organic Detroit steel,¡± his father said. Temple and his mother hiked for two miles up the steep, winding trail towards the volcano. When they finally reached the volcano¡¯s rim, Temple cautiously approached its edge. His heart beat increased, as he imagined what it would be like to peer down into the smoldering hole that had been created in the earth so long ago. Temple wondered how his mother would react to his powers once he showed her. A little part of him felt relieved his dad hadn''t arrived yet. Standing on the very crest between the trail heading down to the treehouse and the edge of the volcano, Temple held his mother''s hand and smiled. Red lava bubbled and splattered below them. But soon the volcano''s heat became uncomfortable in Temple¡¯s face, within seconds and he turned away pulling his mother with him back to the path. ¡°Mommy, I need to show you something.¡± He said. ¡°What is it, Temple?¡± Temple pushed his hand down into his pocket and gripped the ball in his left hand. He looked around, dizzy the light ached in his eyes. ¡°Why am I in the woods?¡± He thought. Instead of oaks and maples with crunchy soil, he saw sparse cedar trees and stood on a dirt path next to gray and black rocks straight up and down like when he when went skiing. His baseball lay strewn across the trail in smoldering pieces. The left pocket of his red jacket was melted away with white stuffing falling out. Temple stood and stared.The night came fast. As the sunlight faded from the sky, it opened, releasing a torrential downpour. Rain filled the dry cracks beneath Temples'' feet, saturating the dusty trail. Water on the ground beaded quickly, then ran down the path to its steep edge. The night came fast. As the sunlight faded from the sky, it opened, releasing a torrential downpour. Rain filled the dry cracks beneath Temples'' feet, saturating the dusty trail. Water on the ground beaded quickly, then ran down the path to its steep edge. A memory flashed in Temple¡¯s mind of the morning''s breakfast and his mother''s beautiful smile. Rain dripped from Temple everywhere. Wet and shivering he wiped at his nose with the sleeve of his jacket, looking around aimlessly. ¡°Mommy where are you?¡± He didn''t know what to thinkHe heard nothing, then began to walk in circles and looked behind the few nearby pine trees. Eventually, he reached the edge of the cliff opposite the volcano to the path below; he cautiously peered over the edge. He heard nothing, then began to walk in circles and looked behind the few nearby pine trees. Eventually, he reached the edge of the cliff opposite the volcano to the path below; he cautiously peered over the edge. Below him, on the lower bend of the trail, his mother''s body lay sprawled over jagged rocks. Temple stumbled back and fell on his bottom, slashing mud into his face. He raised his hands to wipe his face, but stopped short and just stared. His left palm burnt black, like the marks on his mother. Temple panicked, then checked over the rest of his body but found nothing. Only his left hand was hurt. Small patches of skin burnt off. The skin on his palm especially bubbled, oozing clear fluid. Dull pain sank deep within his bones and grew increasingly more intense with every second. It made it difficult to think. His vision blurred and the stench of his burnt flesh filled his nostrils making him a little nauseous. Not knowing what to do, he stood still, feeling his pain, crying, staring at his hand, and his mother. The rain beat him harder than he''d ever remembered. His brown hair matted down to his forehead. ¡°I don''t want to be alone in the woods. I''m scared Mommy, get up!¡± He yelled at her. ¡°Mom, did you jump, why are you down there?¡± ¡°Should I jump too, Mommy? Should I jump?¡± After moments of waiting, Temple remembered grabbing his ball, then his mind flashed a blinding yellow blast, and he couldn''t remember anything else. ¡°Should I jump mom? Should I jump? Mom! Mommy!¡± Temples howled, his high-pitched voice piercing the rain-filled sky. He cupped his hands to his ears, bent over the cliff and listened for her voice. He heard pounding rain. Why was she ignoring him? ¡°Are you OK are you hurt?¡± Switching his gaze from hand and her his head stayed bowed to her. As his eyes fought between his hand and his mommy, he noticed a small trail straight down the side of the cliff that would take him right to her. Gripping a large rock, Temple dug into the side of the ledge. He lowered one leg over its side finding another rock to hold his weight. ¡°I¡±m coming down, OK? OK, Mommy?¡± Silence. The sharp rocks dug into his blistered hand. Slimy mud squeezed from under the toes of his shoes. Every grasped the cliff''s side, shards of shale cut into his skin or under his fingernails. His worn tread kept giving way. Eventually, he had determined he no choice but to kick them off and go the rest of the way barefoot. Tears mixed with rain clouded his fight for sight as he looked down at her. ¡°Should I just jump?¡± he cried. The pain in hand worse than he could of ever unexpected. She lay silent. Temple went on, and his toes dug into the side of the rocky cliff. All of the muscles in his small body tensed, he tried to peer down at her once more, but no matter what he did the rain made her a blur. Temple mustered all his remaining strength. Then he yelled down to her with a bit of force, he couldn''t hold himself up, and he just wanted to let go. ¡°Should I jump?¡± As his words rang through the air, the muddy foothold that had just barely been supporting his weight collapsed. Rocks and mud plummeted to the ground. He dangled by his hands. Slipping down splintering shale, Temple screamed in agony and left go. As he fell, his mother''s voice cut through the rain and thunder as if it was a beautiful clear day and he was sitting on her lap. ¡°Temple, no!¡± His gaze fixed on her; her skin had yellowed; all her limbs angled in odd directions; a red blotch on her abdomen. He tumbled backward head over heal. Temple crashed hard; the cushion of his mother¡¯s flesh enough to sustain his life once more. His head dropped at the nape of her neck. The small boy¡¯s body forced the last hot breath from her lungs. Leaving her motionless, staring down at Temple with washed out eyes. Pulling his face next to hers, he looked at her lovingly and kissed her on her still-warm lips as if to put her to sleep. Then he laid his head down on her chest and smelled her familiar scent. Cupping his ear to block the downpour Temple''s heartbeat echoed through his mother''s body. Exhausted he willed himself asleep humming the song she always hummed to him. The rain beat them relentlessly. Thunder boomed ominously in the cold sky chilling overhead; her body warm below. World Evolvers Chapter Two: Im Alive Chapter Two I''m Alive Temple blinked out of his slumber into blinding light forcing him to shut his eyes. Through the rain, he vaguely made out his father''s voice. ¡°Temple let¡¯s go. We need to go now, son.¡± Clung to his mother''s body, large hands scooped Temple from behind, passing him to a medic inside a hovering medical ship. ¡°Wrap him up! Wrap him up tight!¡± His father''s cracked. Temple couldn''t move in the blanket. Then everything became a blur. He shook uncontrollably for a moment then stopped, continuing to breathing heavy. Once his vision cleared somewhat, he could see out of the ship, flying high above the forest. The entire landscape illuminated before his eyes; rich green hue of countless leaves glowed between the treacherous mountainside. His father strapped him down tighter to the medicboard. Laying there Temple caught sight of another ship approaching fast. A man sat next to his mother, as his father did next to him, holding her body, strapped to a medical board. Temple could feel the weight of his father''s hand on his chest. Everything went black. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. Temple came too and pulled the sheet off of his face, his whole body ached, especially, his bandaged left hand. Looking around in hopes of seeing his father or anyone after a moment of sitting there by himself, Temple, began to wonder if he had been mistaken for dead. Then a shadow acrossthe room caught his attention. His father stood right through the small window of glass in his door. ¡°Daddy, I¡¯m alive. I¡¯m in here. Is mommy OK?¡± His father¡¯s voice boomed through the crack around the door. ¡°It doesn''t matter what you think! I know my kid, and that''s impossible. He''s can''t even move a baseball let alone a person!¡± Temple listened carefully, his heart thumped faster than normal. ¡°Just look at the facts,¡± an unfamiliar man''s voice said. ¡°Maybe it''s hardto accept, but what else could of happened Captain? I don''t think there''s any hiding from this one, Sir,¡± ¡°If that''s the case, doctor, he killed her. And, I don''t think that''s what happened,¡± his father said. ¡°it would mean that he can never follow in my footsteps.¡± ¡°He''ll never want tooif it¡¯s true. It will be easier than you think. Focus your attention on Tar, he''s a much more promising student already.¡± the doctor said. ¡°Take him to Veins," Temple''s father turned his head from Temple and walked out. ¡°She will have to raise him now.¡± Temple''s blood ran cold and his father''s last words echoed in in ears. World Evolvers Chapter Three: Veins of Life Chapter Three Veins of Life The doctor clutched Temple''s hand hard as the two motored their way in the doctor''s big black Cadillac to Mrs. Veins. Temple had no clue who Mrs. Veins was; he''d never heard the name before. Immediately, Temple disliked the doctor. Not only were his hands calloused and rough, but he glared at Temple, thru his thick glasses in an awkward way making Temple feel quite uncomfortable and small. Only once he spoke to Temple on the long drive. And, additionally, beyond his standoffish demeanor, the doctor seemed to be frustrated, as if forced, with the task of delivering Temple to his new destination. Trying to ignore the uncomfortable grip the doctor had on him, Temple turned his attention out the window. Mountain ranges bordered the dirt road they traveled, making Temple wondered what lay in store for him when they finally reached their destination. The mountains boasted long faces of sheared gray stone to their peaks. A glimpse brought Temple flashbacks of the accident. He watched himself fishing around in his jacket pocket for his baseball. Had he only waited for his father it would have never happened? Then another flash of memory ran through his mind; A blinding explosion, the ball tore into pieces between him and his mother blowing them both backward. Then his mind crashed back to his hand still stuck in the firm clasp of the doctor as he tightened his grip. Temple could feel the heat building up in his hand. ¡°Hot! Don''t you even try it boy,¡± The doctor said, as he yanked his hand back, shook it and blew it cool. ¡°Damn if that was hot. You almost got me. Ya, little freak.¡± And the doctor laughed as he wrapped a bandage around his hand. Temple looked at his hand. It glowed barely yellow like an angel''s halo. He forced it to cool with his mind. The golden light faded and disappeared. ¡°I''m sorry, Sir,¡± Temple said and stared back out the window. Corn fields and forests passed for hours. Then the doctor pointed straight out the center of the windshield. ¡°Look up there, that¡¯s your new home, far away from everyone.¡± The old crooked structure clung the top of a steep mountain. At the base of the steep descent on its side, the road narrowed. As the car climbed the road below them, the warn dirt and exposed roots wound back and forth, like a mule trail up a steep hillside. The doctor drove fast. Treetops and blackness blurred together. Then suddenly the doctor locked the brakes. The car skidded to a stop. Temple¡¯s head bounced off the dashboard. ¡°Get out on my side.¡± Ordered the doctor. His bandaged grip increased on Temple''s hand and pulled his little body across the driver''s seat and out of the car. Then with two hands the doctor stood him up and brushed him off. ¡°There we go,¡± The doctor rubbed his head hard leaving his hair knotted and tight pulling on his skin. They walked at a fast pace, Temple, barely keeping up to the old wooden door of 119 Saturday Drive. The doctor, again, further tightened his grip but this time he glared at Temple. The old house stood barely tall enough for a short man. Vegetation grew over half of it so dense it seemed to have collapsed part of the roof. Making the house look as though it were being pushed from or maybe even eaten by the peak of the mountain which it perched. Temple gulped as the wooden planks of siding onthe house pulsedwith therhythm of a heartbeat as if they were alive. He could swear the house watched his every move, but he couldn''t quite make out why he thought it.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. Upon closer inspection, Temple could see that the vegetation grew over and into the house was an actual lush garden full of unusual, colorful fruits and vegetables. The front door to the house opened slowly before the doctor could knock. A shadowy glimpse of a hooded figure, not much taller than Temple himself became half visible. "Hello, hurry, come inside," the hoodedfigure said in an old woman''s raspy voice. Temple stepped a foot in the doorway. As his eyes caught the light and the hooded figure¡¯s face revealed itself. She wore no protective layer of skin. There were only throbbing veins shaped like a woman''s face. Temple averted his gaze in order not to be rude, but as soon he couldn''t resist. His young eyes stared. "Yes,¡± she said in a soft voice, noticing his preoccupation with her appearance. ¡°It''s okay to look child. I was in a terrible accident when I was very young. Please don''t be scared.¡± She smiled kindly. As Temple opened his mouth to reply, the doctor interrupted, "Can we come in?" "Of course, of course, come in,¡± she said graciously. ¡°I said come in didn''t I?¡± she shook her head. ¡°Silly me, I can''t remember anything these days. Anyway, I am Mrs. Veins- you two are hungry." "There''s no time for that,¡± the doctor said. ¡°There''s been another accident." He shut the door behind him and secured the heavy lock. "Another accident, already?¡± Mrs. Veins replied. ¡°That''s impossible! Do the others know?" "Of course, they sent me," Mrs. Veins turned her gaze to Temple. What did she want, Temple wondered. Temple could feel his palms growing warm. He knew that she knew it was him the doctor spoke about. "Then, the child?¡± She asked. ¡°How could it be so soon? How could they be so close together?" She shook her head. "Nobody knows,¡± The doctor replied with a shrug. ¡°The boy is yours now. You can teach him or put him to work, but you cannot show him." "I know my choices," she snapped. "Then,¡± the doctor began a condescending smile gracing his lips, ¡°You know, I must go," he began to make his way back to the front door. "His name is Temple Road, son of Master Road," he called out over his shoulder. ¡°No, not Master Road.¡± she turned to Temple. Once the doctor left, Temple felt as though he wanted to talk to Mrs. Veins. Though he knew others might have been frightened by her appearance and maybe he was supposed to be too, Mrs. Veins'' face didn''t scare Temple one bit. To the contrary, he found her presence comforting. She was kind to Temple and exuded a sense of safety that he so desperately needed. Looking over to her, Temple couldn''t help but let out a loud yawn, which he quickly tried to cover up with his hand. "I have a wonderful bed for you, Temple,¡± she informed him. ¡°It''s late, and you must rest. Follow me." They both grabbed for each other''s hand at the same time. As they did, a tiny spark flew from each of their palms, joined in a swirl, then disappeared into thin air. With a small smile, Mrs. Veins hesitated for a second.¡°You''re a special boy. I''m glad you''re here.¡± Temple followed her tohis new room off the side of the house. As soon as he walked through the door, he looked straight through the glass ceiling. A yellow moon shone bright and full, as stars sparked in the dark sky surrounding it. On the bed sat a silver tray and on it waited, a warm glass of milk with honey in it. Temple sipped the milk. Mrs. Veins hummed to him and helped him to bed. She then left closing the door silently behind her. ¡°Can you leave it open just a crack please?¡± The knob turned, and the door opened just a crack. Just enough to cut a line of light straight to Temple settled into his new, soft as a cloud, bed. In no time, Temple fell fast asleep. The next day, he made his way to the kitchen where he found Mrs. Veins. "Good morning Mrs.Veins,¡± Temple said. "Good morning to you. You must be starving," she remarked and grabbed a large blue banana covered in small red bumps from a branch hanging over her head. She laid it on the counter, pulled out a chair at the small round wooden table constructed of branches and tree bark, and gestured for Temple to have a seat. World Evolvers Chapter Four: My Mommy Now Chapter Four My Mommy Now Temple couldn''t help but wonder why his father sent him to live with the ghastly Mrs. Veins, and without even saying goodbye. He took a scoop of fruit and picked a piece off the tip of his spoon that looked somewhat like a blueberry, however, sparkled with a slight glow that came from within it. Temple was pretty surehe knew why he''d been sent away. He looked at his lap. ¡°I died my mommy with my ball.¡± he said and let his spoon full of shimmery fruit splat to the plate. Mrs. Veins took a deep breath, pulled her hair back and poured herself a drink, never once removing Temple from her sight. ¡°Do you remember what happened?¡± ¡°Are you going to be my mommy now?¡± Mrs. Veins sat down facing Temple and grasped his hands between hers. Her hands were hot. She locked her eyes on his and then pulled him in close holding him so tight he couldn''t pull back. But, Temple didn''t mind. It felt good to be held so tightly. ¡°Young Temple. The pain of my face is no comparison to your broken heart. I cannot be your mother as much as it would please me. I can, however, help you remember her. Do you know where she is? Temple knew where his mother was, dead that''s where, and he didn''t want to think about it anymore. ¡°Can I get a new mommy soon. I¡¯ve never been without a mommy. I''ve never done this before. How am I supposed to do this alone?¡± Mrs. Veins smiled the saddest smile Temple had ever seen. She pulled him to her lap and hugged him tightly. ¡°I don''t know, but we''ll do it together.¡± She said. Temple¡¯s eyes burned, and he felt the heat on his cheeks. Once he saw the tears on his fingers, he couldn''t hold back. Temple sobbed. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Everything will be OK. You''re here with me, and together we''ll get you happy.¡± She whispered in his ear, ¡°I''ll show you where she is tomorrow. You''re in for a lot of surprises young Temple, yes, tomorrow you''ll be happy.¡± ¡°I want to be happy,¡± Temple said rubbing his eyes dry. Then he snuggled into Mrs. Veins arms and fell fast asleep. Awoken by the sun''s glow through his eyelids the next morning, Temple felt warmth radiated on his face letting him know a new day had come. He smiled and thought purposely about seeing his mother. ¡°Mom, I can''t wait to find you today.¡± he said aloud, expecting her to be lurking around the corner, giggling, waiting to surprise him. Afterall, Mrs. Veins told him she was going to show him where his mother was; she must be close by. That¡¯s why his father sent him there, to be with her, now he understood perfectly. He closed his eyes. ¡°I won''t peek. I promise mommy, where are you?¡± A knock on his door pulled his attention, ¡°I thought I¡¯d never see you again mommy.¡± he ran and turned the knob. Temple stepped back. Mrs. Veins entered. Temples heart sank, and his smile vanished as he looked up. ¡°I''m not very happy today am I Mrs. Veins? I''m not going to see my mommy again, am I?¡± Mrs. Veins took Temples hand. ¡°Maybe not as you think, but you will see her today in another way. I will help you.¡± She walked him to the back of her house and out the door into a lush English garden. In the middle was a domed hut fashioned of branches and leaves with a small opening covered by an animal hide for a door. Surrounding the shelter at North, South, East, and West positions, log stools stood set in pairs. ¡°First we will go inside and find her. Then we will come outside and spend time with her at the stools.¡± Mrs. Veins held back the hide. Temple ducked in. The soft dirt floor felt cool under his bare feet, even though red embers crackled in a pit centered on the floor. Smoke rose up and out a hole in the structure''s top. The smell of earth filled Temple¡¯s nose as he wondered at the small beam of sunlight that made a white spot on the floor around an old terracotta bowl filled with liquid. ¡°What is this place?¡± Temple asked. ¡°This is a place to remember and see, a place in no time. Every experience you''ve ever had, you are there without a choice of anywhere else. In here you can be at any moment at any time you choose as if time doesn''t exist.¡± ¡°Will I see my mommy?¡± World Evolvers Chapter Five: HYBOTS Chapter Five HYBOTS The cold, cramped concrete room wasn''t much, 15 years later, but it served as a workroom, and Temple was glad he had it to himself. Working tirelessly for years, he was almost finished with his greatest invention ever. He sat upstraight at a hovering desk. One eye closed Temple inspected the square blue plug which he held in one hand and the round blue hole in a circuit board he held in the other. Seeing as they clearly wouldn''t fit together, he squeezed his brow, then searched for any other hole that would be a match for the blue plug. All the other holes were round, oval or octagon, except for a single square plug, but it was green. Not knowing what else to do, and figuring this was the only hole that at least matched up in shape, he shrugged. Knowing better than to try it, he tried it. As he propelled backward, still clutching the plug in his hand, his first thought was, Wow, that''s a lot of power. It sure will come in handy. I wonder how I can use it. His second thought, resulting from the shock of the situation, occurred next as he continued to fly back through the room. Charlie gave me that plug. The final thought he had, as he braced himself right before he hit the wall was, This is going to hurt! The back of his head smashed into the adjoining cement wall between his and his competitor and friend Charlie''s workrooms,forcing out the most peculiar noise. A sound unlike any he''d heard come out of his mouth before or since. Then he slid down the wall and landed hard in a sitting position on the floor. He reached for the back of his head to inspect for damage. It was then he saw that his workroom had become a totaled mess. Black soot covered his work area, papers and notes lay on the floor with burnt edges. ¡°Hey, Charlie!¡± Temple yelled at the wall pounding his fist, ¡°Can''t anyone get anything right around here? I''m going to start a tutorial for you about the difference between particle plugs and accelerator in line adapters,¡± he said and laughed with no response from Charlie, who most likely was intently working on a project of his own. He had borrowed that cord from Charlie, who¡¯d sworn it was the correct one. Temple went over to his hover stool and spun around avoiding cleaning up as he daydreamed about winning the contest and finally seeing his father after so many years. After a couple of minutes, he gave in. Temple began to clean up, and caught sight of soldiers through the window. The smile vanished from his face, and he dropped everything in his hands and never once looked down. His gaze stayed fixed. In the distance C.A.C. Trainees marched on the training fields in preparation for the Annual C.A.C. Master Competitions. For now, the cadets dressed in their regular silver training suits, but Temple knew, that during the final matches, they would wear their ceremonial armor. His father had worn it, and this year his brother would wear it. He knew he would never wear it. Not after the accident. And, not since Mrs. Veins taught him how to lose his powers as if they never existed at all. Temple observed the trainees intently and began to mimic their every move. He grabbed a long wrench from the tools on his work table and tucked it up under his arm, exactly how the trainees positioned their weapons. He moved along in perfect rhythm, knowing their routine by heart. This wasn''t just any competition; it was also the 100th anniversary of the World Alliance. Temple sighed, wishing more than anything that he could be out in the fields training with the rest of the trainees. Instead, he was cooped up in his workroom tangled in a bunch of wires that ran from one side of the room to the other. Wires, attached to a small, floating mass of a clear, gel-like substance that was a little bigger than his head. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I may not be able to train with them, but at least I have you, R.U.S.H. My greatest invention yet,¡± Temple said to the flying substance. ¡°What would I do without you?¡± R.U.S.H. stood for Randomly-Unioned-Synthetic-Hybot. Constructed from the Randomly Unioned Synthetics that Temple had accidentally invented one day in Lab-Camp while living with Mrs.Veins. There wasn''t a single hard part to the robot whatsoever; entirely made of ¡°microblog gelbots¡± as Temple also called them. Each gelbot measuring only slightly larger than the atom the replicated. R.U.S.H. was much more than just a nifty robot, however. He was also Temple''s pet. Temple had given the robot the consciousness of his great, great grandfather''s pet chocolate Labrador retriever who''d been named Maximum Rush. Real pets were a thing of the past. R.U.S.H. was as real to Temple as any dog had ever been to a child. ¡°Sit boy,¡± Temple commanded. The blob wiggled itself down a little lower in the air; the best version of ¡°sit¡± it could manage in that form. ¡°There''s no one else like you, is there boy? We are two one of a kind- me and you. Soon you''ll be revealed, and I just know you''re going to blow everyone away.¡± Temple removed the plugs from R.U.S.H. one at a time, and finally, he pulled out the last one. ¡°Here were go.¡± Temple stepped back excitedly. R.U.S.H. transformed from a transparent blob into a dog. ¡°There you are,boy,¡± Temple said. He patted R.U.S.H.''s furry brown head. R.U.S.H. leaped onto Temple, his front paws on Temple''s chest. The force knocked them both to the ground, and R.U.S.H. licked Temple''s face. The two wrestled playfully on the floor. Until, Temple thru his hands up, surrendering to exhaustion. Temple watched R.U.S.H. and sighed a surge of pride. Temple knew he had created something truly unique and wished at that moment that he could show his father. Hopefully, his invention would be enough to win. With all his heart, he knew his father would finally see him differently, if only he won the contest. It had been 15 years since he''d seen his father or for that matter his brother Tar. He''d spent that time under Mrs. Veins care, and though he''d grown to love her like a mother, there still wasn''t a day that went by without him missing his real family. If Temple could win the contest, he''d be able to see his father at the C.A.C. Facility. Living with Mrs. Veins and not seeing his father or his brother Tar was hopefully about to come to an end. Temple realized long ago that he couldn''t use his powers, for fear of hurting or even killing another. He hated himself for it. It came in spurts at random times. Unformed, uncontrollable, lethal and forbidden. Bubbling from under his skin with pain, he knew he was more than everyone said. But his father was right. He could never train like Tar, and the doctor was correct as well. Temple did not want to. He held it back as he was taught. He had no choice. ¡°Tomorrow''s is the competition boy. Are you ready¡± Temple asked R.U.S.H. ¡°Wolf wolf wolf !¡± R.U.S.H. barked. ¡°I sure hope so. I''m excited too!¡± Temple loving stroked R.U.S.H.¡¯s head with his hand. For that moment, R.U.S.H. was not a robot. Beep-Beep, his communicator, startled him: Facility walk-through with Master Brock 1400 hrs. Temple looked at his watch, 1:45 pm. He looked down at what he was wearing and realized he still had to get his uniform on and return in time for the walkthrough. If he missed it, he would get disqualified from the technology competition. The fifteen-minute walk to the sleeping area was not an option. No time for a shower and a change, OK fine. But he¡¯d forgotten his ID Pass. He had to have it, or he¡¯d be finished. ¡°Here boy¡± Temple called. R.U.S.H ran over and sat. ¡°You have to go in stealth mode.¡± Rush turned back into the blob. ¡°Go fetch my pass boy! Go, go get it, Boy!!¡± Temple said sending an almost invisible R.U.S.H. on his way. Out the door R.U.S.H flew, leaving nothing but a breeze. Temple paced back and forth in his workroom. Seeing the blown up wires in the corner, he shook his head. ¡°I need to focus on my work and stop worrying out this competition. Maybe I should have just stayed with Mrs. Veins. Who will take care of her now anyway?¡± R.U.S.H. popped back in with the pass. Temple grabbed it out of the blob, at the same time he sprinted out the door as fast as he could to meet Master Brock. ¡°Good boy!¡± Temple yelled running out the door and slamming it on Rush. ¡°Stay!¡± WE World Evolvers Chapter Six: Master Brock Chapter Six Master Brock Master Brock¡¯s eyes stayed locked on the clock of the initiation room. He stood noticable taller than the largest men Temple had ever seen. His jet black uniform hugged his rippling muscles and his left chest and both arms boldly gleamed with his achievements. All the badges were embossed with ¡°C.A.C.M.¡± along with a fireball symbol and a shooting star colored silver and black. Temple didn¡¯t recognize either symbols. Temple heard the legends of the C.A.C. Masters as a child from his brother. The story told that the 20 Heads of Knowledge would never allow 100 Masters in fear they could become all powerful and take over the universe. But Temple knew their honest souls wouldn''t let them. With the utmost professional demeanor Master Brock stood in front of Temple and four other young men. As the clock reached exactly 0900 hours. He turned and addressed the young men. ¡°Welcome to the Complex Alternative Communications Training Facility. You are here because this is your destiny, there is no other possibility for you in this world. Only one of you will become the next generation''s Technology Master, the highest technology honor in the CAC. You will then get to report to the genius, Dr. Weissenburger. You will remain in this facility until the competition is complete. You will treat each other with respect and you will produce results as expected. Line up behind me, the facility tour starts now,¡± Master Brock commanded. Without waiting for them, he turned and walked out of the room. Temple scrambled, but despite his best efforts still ended up last in line. The young men who had been sitting beside him had already queued up. Temple¡¯s competition intimidated him. He looked them up and down. Never had he seen kids like this before. Like shrunken elite soldiers. I wonder what they eat? Temple asked himself as he slid his hand down his uniform trying to get the wrinkles out. Trying to match everyone else¡¯s neatly pressed W.A.Technology uniform. The young men never took their eyes off the back of Master Brock''s head as they marched across the metal catwalk that led out of the introduction room. Easily distracted, young Temple snuck a peek out the observation window as they marched past. He faced out into a large green field. In the distance large, black, holographic signs hovered in the air, which read: ¡°100th Year Anniversary of the World Alliance!¡± Temple watched as the WA marching band dressed in all-red, ornate military uniforms stomped by. The percussion section came pounding away on giant drum heads. And the brass section, dressed in grey uniforms, brought up the rear. The austere military music reverberated in Temple''s ears as they continued to march by, a new song that he didn''t recognize. Directly following the band came the Electric Warriors. Thousands of them, in wide rows. They wielded energy packs, designed to cultivate their inner power and charge the staffs in their hands which shot out bolts of green energy on their command. Some of the soldiers used their staffs to fly along with the rest of them. The gleaming, grand spectacle that celebrated The World Alliance''s power was nothing short of awe-inspiring, especially to Temple. ¡°Are those real Electric Warriors?¡± Temple blurted out to Master Brock. He¡¯d only heard the legends. Master Brock made no sign of acknowledging Temple''s excited question, and instead turned sharply on his heel and walked over to the massive door at the end of the catwalk. The door hovered higher than Temple could have imagined. A single man could not physically move it alone, no matter how strong he might be. It stood at least five-men tall, forged of solid metal, finished with lustrous shine. When Master Brock approached, he pressed his pointer finger and thumb together, and aimed them at the door. He then slowly pulled his fingers apart. As he performed this action, the door slid open, moving at the same speed at which he separated his fingers. He entered the room, and gestured for the cadets to follow. Inside Temple could see the room was made of gray walls and floors, and was completely empty except for what appeared to a thin layer of clear fabric in the shape of a box, standing in the middle of the room. Translucent with razor-straight edges, the box sparkled with a slight iridescence, standing a few feet taller than Master Brock himself. Inside the box was a silver arm coming from small pool of black liquid in the floor, reached up with its palm flat open. Two small objects lay in the open palm of the hand. The Master made notes on his handheld as he turned to observe each of them. Once complete recording his report, he turned to the box and addressed the young men. "Temple, help me in a demonstration,¡± ¡°Yes Sir!¡± Temple replied with enthusiasm. ¡°Step into the box,¡±Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Temple approached the box hesitantly, unsure of exactly how to get inside of it. He scanned for a door or anything that resembled an opening. Looking back at Master Brock in confusion, Master Brock barked at him. ¡°Step into the box, now, Temple!¡± Temple''s scratched his head, utterly confused. He walked up as close as he could to the box, and extended an arm, placing his hand on the wall of the box. His hand went right through the wall. Seeing that he was able to pass through the strange material, Temple stepped the rest of the way into the box, and then turned to smile smugly but silently back at Master Brock, awaiting any further instructions. ¡°The box is constructed from a precious resource we found on the inner layer of Venus. It has its own nervous system and cognitive reality. We call her A.M.A. (Activated Molecular Alternative). Always be nice to AMA, she is what you will use to control your trudger. ¡°Temple pick up the nero dots before you and place them on the bone lobes behind your ears,¡± Temple took the two small sensors off the open hand as instructed. The hand quickly retracted into the pool of blackness. They felt fleshy or rubbery nothing more than round dots, no bigger than a dime, and sticky. As soon as Temple grabbed them they started rapidly pulsating, like the heartbeat of a scared little animal. Startled, Temple fumbled with them in his hands and they stuck to his palms. ¡°Stop!¡± Master Brock said. ¡°Everyone watch what Temple is doing right now if you''d like to learn the surest way to kill yourself!¡± Temple froze and looked up, still trying to get the sensors unstuck. He shook his hands vigorously, but the sensors would not come off. Eventually he managed to pull one off but then it just got stuck to his fingertip. After another minute of fumbling, the sensors ended up getting stuck to each other. Temple struggled to get them apart. Master Brock approached the box and removed the sensors from Temple''s hands, having no trouble at all doing so. He then placed them behind Temple''s ears with precision, where they seemed to liquefy into his skin. Immediately Temple dropped to his knees from a loud ringing sound in his ears. His vision became blurry, and room started to spin. For a moment he thought he was going to puke or lose his balance and fall over. But after a moment everything came back into focus, and the ringing quieted down. Once he had his senses back he caught sight of his hands; they were made of plastic and machine-like, as though they belonged to a robot. ¡°What happened to my hands?!¡± he yelled, in a mixture of excitement and trepidation. ¡°Tell me what you see.¡± Looking around Temple named off everything he saw. ¡°My whole body is a robot and well and I see another robot. I think we are in a boxing ring.¡± Temple, and by association his trudger, stood motionless, just gazing around wildly taking in his new reality. Then from nowhere the other Trudger in the training room clotheslined Temple¡¯s to the floor. The onlooking trainees in the control room to howl with laughter as they watched both Temple in the control room and the trudgers on a monitor. The opposing trudger bent down and helped Temple up. Then as soon as he was on his feet, smashed him back down. ¡°It figures, Temple is getting his ass beat,¡± one of the other cadets shouted out. They all laughed at Temple. Again the opposing trudger helped him up. This time, however, Temple was prepared; he immediately dodged out of the way once he was back on his feet. The two trudgers circled each other, waiting for the right moment to attack. The trudger lunged at Temple, but Temple managed to get a hold of his neck and keep him down. The trudger wriggled free of Temple''s grasp, and immediately attacked again, this time hurling Temple against the wall. Upon impact, one of the legs on Temple¡¯s trudger broke off. Temple struggled to get upright on one remaining leg. On the ground nearby, his robotic leg smoothed out the dents it had incurred and bent itself back into proper shape. Once it had fixed itself, it reattached to Temple''s trudger. Now fully repaired, Temple prepared himself for another round of the battle. His forehead back in the control room dripped sweat. The trudgers stood off. ¡°Give up Temple! No one can beat a Master but a Master,¡± one of the other techs blurted out, but Temple shrugged it off. With nothing left to lose Temple grabbed the other trudger by the throat and ran it head-on into a wall. He then jumped on it wrapped his arms and legs around the other trudger and squeezed as hard as he possibly could until boom, both trudgers exploded. Temple snapped too back in the room. The cadets all turned to look at each other in amazement. They turned back to Temple and stared, no one making a sound. ¡°Everyone out. Go stand in the hall,¡± Master Brock ordered as he slid the door open. ¡°Temple, stay where you are.¡± Once the others were gone, Master Brock addressed Temple in a softer voice. ¡°Who taught you to do what you just did?¡± he asked. Temple wasn''t sure how to answer the question. He stared back at Master Brock, a puzzled look on his face. ¡°No one sir¡± ¡±How did you make the trudger explode?¡± Master Brock pressed. ¡°I don''t know sir, maybe it was faulty,¡± Temple replied, shrugging. Master Brock flashed a doubtful look, but didn''t say anything else on the matter. ¡°Return to the your barracks,¡± Master Brock ordered sternly. ¡°You''re going to have to report to Sergeant Marks first thing in the morning.¡± As soon as Temple returned to the barracks the other cadets pounced on him, asking questions.¡° What about you mommy? Did you blow her up too?¡± One after another, each cadet hurled a nasty remark at Temple. This went on for the remainder of the evening. Temple couldn''t take it anymore and pulled the covers over his head tightly tucking them under his head so they didn''t come undone. When it was lights out, Temple pulled the blanket from his head in the darkness. The cadet sleeping in the bunk to his right whispered one last insult. ¡°Temple Roads killed his mother and now he can''t be a C.A.C. Master. So now he blows up stuff for attention.¡± The cadet''s words lingered in Temple''s thoughts as he struggled to fall asleep that night. WE World Evolvers Chapter Seven: Parts and Pieces of Freinds Parts and Pieces with Friends Temple woke up startled in the middle of the night. His mind fixated on the explosion. After ten minutes of anxiously tossing and turning, he gave up on sleep and got out of bed. The clock on his communicator read 3:42 AM. Moving around the room, Temple stepped carefully not to disturb his fellow trainees who were fast asleep. One foot at a time he made it out of hearing range, then sprinted to the storage room that he''d seen a maintenance man rolling carts of trudger parts into. It would hopefully contain everything he needed for his plan. Inside the room Temple found assorted trudger parts scattered on shelves and heaps of legs arms and heads stacked next to trash bins. Temple rummaged through the parts until he found enough to build a trudger of his very own. Laying different colored beat up pieces on the floor inside the storage room, he immediately went to work in the dim light. It didn¡¯t take him long to assemble his makeshift trudger, then lugged it over to one of the old control booths plugins. Nervous but hopeful, he plugged in a headset and slid it down over his head. Nauseous and dizzy at first, everything seemed to be functioning. The trudger then began to walk around. At that point, he began his efforts to make the trudger explode. He tried various approaches¨C¨Crunning it into walls, burning it, and even sent it to leap off a building¨C¨Cbut nothing resulted in an explosion. So he ran. The harder he pushed in his mind, the faster the trudger ran. Once he¡¯d reached the maximum speed, he linked his mind unknowingly with the trudger. Then oddly he experienced everything the trudger did and felt. He could feel its various part and pieces as if they were his body muscles and skin. He took in a deep breath and willed with all his might for it to explode. Ka-boom! An explosion so powerful disintegrated the trudger into mere ash and probably woke up everyone in the building. ¡°Holy shit!¡± he exclaimed aloud, unable to contain his excitement. ¡°That was so cool!¡± Realizing he ought to keep his voice down, he covered his mouth with his hand and started to try and figure out what had just happened in his head by scratching it with the other. ¡°How did I do that? Was it because of me? No, it couldn¡¯t have been. It had to of been faulty hardware. But the same thing happened earlier during the walkthrough. No way ''s it a coincidence! It¡¯s me. It has to be me,¡± Temple fought with himself mentally coming to the realization that he was the one who had made the explosions occur, his excitement suddenly dampened when something else came to mind. ¡°That''s what I did to my mom.¡± He removeed his headset, and realized the cord to the headset had been unplugged. ¡°How did I?¡± he muttered aloud, staring in confusion at the unplugged wire in his hand. ¡°This meant that I connected it.¡± He decided to test his thinking. After quickly manufacturing another trudger from the old parts in the storage unit, he held his breath. He concentrated hard and attempted to connect to it without being hooked up to any wires or dots at all. With his eyes blinked oped he quickly saw himself through the trudgers eyes. Then his mind came back to him. He waived his hand, the trudger did as well. Temple¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°No way!¡± So he figured he might as well have some fun with it, and started dancing around, laughing as the trudger mimicked his every move. 0600 hrs. Too much time had passed since he¡¯d begun experimenting with the trudgers, and he figured his fellow trainees would be awake by now, so he decided to send the trudger on a spy mission to see if he could safely return. Temple knew he had to be extra careful doing this; sending the Trudger out on its own and into the sleeping area required extreme precautions and if he got caught he would get in a lot of trouble. First, he sent the trudger outside and up the side of the building until it came to the air vents to the sleeping quarters. He lowered the trudger down carefully to hover above the vents, where he listened in to the trainees talk, making sure to remain quiet as a mouse. ¡°No, Sir, I don''t know where he is.¡± ¡°There''s no place to go the buildings shut down.¡± ¡°There''s something scary about that guy. I mean, who blows up a trudger? I don''t know if he''s right for our team,¡± he heard one of the other contestants say. Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°Okay, and how about you Larry? What are your thoughts on the explosion from yesterday?¡± Temple recognized the second voice instantly asMaster Brock. ¡°I think it was a stunt, he must have planted a bomb or something,¡± Larry answered. "Of course, it was," someone else agreed. ¡°How else could it of happened? Of course, it was a bomb.¡± ¡°We¡¯ve been trying to blow up trudgers forever, and we''ve never had one explode. That''s one of their features as you know, Sir.¡± As the other trainees all went on, continuing to badmouth Temple, he realized he had no friends there. He couldn¡¯t trust a single one of them. Temple had heard enough. Hiding the trudger carefully under a pile of broken parts on a shelf, he then cleaned up the ashes from the trudger that had exploded. He slipped into his workroom unnoticed. For the rest of the day, Temple worked diligently on preparing for the competition; fueled by a new motivation to prove everyone wrong. It was dark out when Temple finally took a break from his work. Temple realized that he was starving. He went over to the mess hall, hoping to have a late bite to eat, but to his dismay, it was already closed. With his stomach still growling, he went to his sleeping unit¨C¨Cit looked like he¡¯d be going to bed hungry. When he got back to the sleeping area, he saw that his bunkmate Jack was still awake in his bed. Jack always had food. His parents continued to send him care packages no matter how old or fat he became, so he''s continuously stocked with candy, cookies, and a variety of other snacks. Thinking back to what everyone had said as the trudger eavesdropped on the trainees earlier, Temple recalled that Jack hadn¡¯t badmouthed him like all the others. So perhaps he did have one friend there after all. Jack and Temple had liked each other right away, and that had made being bunk buddies much easier for both of them. ¡°What are you doing up?¡± Temple asked when he approached the bunk. ¡°Can''t sleep, the meatball sub I had earlier doesn''t agree with me. We are having quite the argument right now in fact!¡± Jack replied, patting his belly. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I went to the mess hall to eat, but they were closed!¡± ¡°I have some red bear bars,¡± ¡°Can you please spare me two?¡± Temple asked Jack. ¡°I¡¯m starving!¡± Jack made no objection to Temple¡¯s request. Temple thanked him and then climbed into bed. As he devoured the bars, he thought about the newfound powers he¡¯d discovered. Temple knew he couldn¡¯t tell anyone about them, no matter what. The power to destroy, he vowed to keep to himself. ¡°Hey, Jack you know how to levitate right? Have you ever blown up a ball or anything like that? ¡°If I could, I wouldn¡¯t be here. I''d be an electric warrior. That''s the kind of stuff they live for. I''ve always wanted to ride a Spark staff. Probably need to stop eating bear bars, though.¡± Temple heard the slaps of his hand on his plump belly. ¡°Did you blow up your baseball too?¡± Jack asked. ¡°A long, long time ago. I haven''t tried since. But, I have a feeling I''ll get it right the next time I see one.¡± Temple smiled to himself with his new secret. ¡°My mother told me stories about a kid who blew up his baseball a long time ago. I wonder how he did it. Maybe he''s like you.¡± Temple did not respond. The thought of his mother being hauled away in the ship stuck in his mind. In the morning Temple was ordered straight to the sergeant''s office. The sergeant immediately stood up and saluted when Temple entered the room. Temple shook his hand, noting how hot and clammy it was. ¡°Temple, On behalf of the C.A.C. Technology Program and the World Alliance it''s been an honor to have you here with us. I know your father, and you certainly come from an esteemed family. I wish things could have turned out differently,¡± the sergeant said, shaking his head. ¡°Here are your orders straight from the top. Sorry Temple,¡± he handed Temple a small, round, metal disk and sighed. ¡°I don''t want to leave sir, the competition is tomorrow,¡± Temple pleaded, reluctantly accepting the disk. ¡°Not my decision kid. Like I said, it''s straight from the top,¡± the sergeant answered matter-of-factly. ¡°I can''t leave today sir. I¡¯ve worked so hard it¡¯s critical that I win so I can see my father. I haven''t seen him in years.¡± Temple insisted and was beginning to get upset. ¡°They told me to have you ready in 15 minutes son. Now hurry up and grab your stuff,¡± the sergeant said gruffly. ¡°What will I do?¡± Temple asked tearfully. They must have found the remains of the Trudger I blew up, he thought to himself. "Let''s go" Refusing to answer any more of Temple¡¯s questions, the sergeant began to escort Temple to collect his belongings then walked him over to the transport ship. The entire time, Temple continued to try and reason with the sergeant. ¡°Why am I being reassigned?¡± Temple asked, frustrated when they reached the ship. ¡°Listen carefully" The sergeant stopped, turned to Temple, then backed him up against the wall. He looked Temple square in the eyes then looked over his shoulder to make sure they were alone, then back at Temple. ¡°Not everything is as it seems. Be brave and be true.¡± Then he relaxed and pulled Temple to the landing platform. "The ship will pick you up here, do not leave this location for any reason." The sergeant saluted goodbye and left Temple standing in front of the transport ship pick up area.