Child of Time (18 page)

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Corban opened his eyes again and hardly recognized
where he was. The burns and scorch marked around his room making it
look like a war zone. Finally remembering what happened he tried to
raise Alec on the coms. A projection of Alec appeared next to
him.

“What happened?” Corban was still a little fuzzy.

“You appear to have ascended.” Alec analyzed the
scans of the room for the last few hours. “There has been a buildup
of temporal energy in your person since you have arrived. Kendra
warned me this might happen.”

“I don't feel ascended.” Corban noted.

“From what I understand your bending skills will be
stronger, you will have access to innate ascended abilities like
increased regeneration, improved reflexes and basic matter energy
manipulation. You probably won't be able to sustain an ascended
state for years.” Alec tried to explain what he knew however
lacking his databases were on the topic.

“I remember getting a glass of water and it began
boiling.” Corban rubbed his head trying to remember.

“You appear to be primarily a fire bender. Not to
mention a fire elemental. It is not uncommon for a new ascended to
ascend in their most natural form.” Alec seemed distant as he
scanned for something. “Something is missing. Have you seen
Fred?”

The final pieces of the morning began to make their
way into Corban's mind. “Fred! He was here! “

“You are sure? We need to find him now if that is the
case.” Alec sounded as worried as an AI could be. “Corban do you
feel well enough to meet me in simulator one?”

“I feel fine now but Fred came just before I lost
control. What if I hurt him?” Corban was beginning to feel
frantic.

---------

Kiyan woke from the strangest night he had ever
slept. He felt more rested than usual somehow. His dreams had been
stranger than normal yet they were not like the other dreams, just
normal strange dreams. The strangest part was that he could
remember everything that had happened on the ship while he was
asleep, like he had been awake all night paying attention to all
the information that had been presenting itself to him. Climbing
out of bed he mentally picked an outfit from his wardrobe but
suddenly found himself wearing it before making a move. A query
about what was happening informed him he had been outfitted with a
holographic apparel module. Wondering what else was new caused a
flood of information. Kiyan stopped the data stream before because
he decided to find out the old fashioned way.

“Commander Kiyan please meet us at simulator one.”
Alec made a request. Still finding it strange that he was the
commander of a vessel capable of destroying a planet he accessed
the teleported and materialized in the simulator.

“Kiyan I don't know how to say it but, I seem to have
ascended and inadvertently lost Fred and Addy. Corban had a
psychological rating of deteriorating.

“I asked you here to go over the sensor logs of this
morning to we can find out what happened. “Alec respectfully asked
Corban of he was ready. Hearing an affirmative response from Corban
Alec started the simulation.

The group watched the event of the morning until they
saw Fred and Addy simply disappear into thin air after glowing
brightly.

“Could they have been burned badly enough that the
automated medical systems transferred them to the cryo pods?”
Corban seemed to be getting desperate.

Both Kiyan and Alec responded with a no
simultaneously. Alec glanced at Kiyan before continuing. “We both
would have known the instant that might have happened besides none
of the cryo systems are active right now.”

Wrapping all that he knew about the matter Kiyan sent
it to Theo and Kendra. It wasn't more than a minute before they
were both standing by him.

“I told you that you might ascend but I had no idea
that the release would have been so tremendous.” Kendra pondered
the information for a moment.

“Kiyan perhaps this is what was meant in your dream
by in the light of the unborn. Theo also seemed at a loss.
Figuratively Corban was just reborn an immortal. But he rest
doesn't make sense. Alec what was the Avenger doing at that
moment?”

“I was conducting scans of the timeline and the
surrounding space. The avenger was stationary. No unusual energy
spikes until Corban. I don't have better scans because the temporal
energy released blocked my scanners momentarily except for the
optical sensors in the corridor.” Alec gave all the details that he
had. “When I figured out what was happening I erected a thermal
containment field but there were no other life signs at that
time.”

“From what we saw from the corridor it looks like
Fred was converting the heat and bending it back as life energy.
Amazing but it might explain what happened.” Kendra thought for a
moment before continuing. “If he was exposed to life energy of that
level and if he earth bent he would be attracted to the nearest
mass of bendable earth like a magnet. With that much energy passing
through them matter might have become so close to energy that the
attraction may have shifted his location. Basically he may have
teleported himself somewhere.”

Kiyan could already feel the drop ships being prepped
for travel by Alec. He also knew every planet or mass of bendable
earth within tens of light years. There were hundreds. A glance
from Kendra and Theo told him that they knew the same thing. A
flash and they were gone to conduct search operations from their
own vessels. Kiyan informed Corban that he was going to the bridge
so he could use the command chair to obtain a full sync with the
ship. Corban decided to see if he could be of some use on the
bridge as well.

Corban thought for a moment and remembered that he
was supposed to have some new ascended powers like maybe enhanced
senses. Casting his mind out he found that his range was remarkably
enhanced. Still not able to scan more than a few light minutes he
sensed the telepathic relays in the ship. Connecting with them he
realized that he could significantly enhance his range. Also by
focusing on one area he was able to sense even farther. The drop
ships warped out and he realized each of them also had relays too.
Connecting with them he could sense for a light minute or two
around the dropships also.

----------

Fred lay on the cool ground letting it drain the heat
from his body. Opening his eyes and not seeing anything Fred stood
up. He felt stiff for a moment as he groped his way around. Hearing
Addy in his head made him more comfortable yet the darkness and
definite feel of earth around him was confusing. Perhaps he was in
the simulator. Addy was sending feelers out and mapping the room.
It took a few minutes but Fred and Addy soon had a rough idea of
what the room was like. There was a few cells around the edge of
the room with bars in the front of each one. Addy was in a cell on
the far side from Fred.

Thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him Fred
noticed a flicker of light approaching from the hallway. A few
humanoids walked into the room with torches. It took a couple
moments to for Fred to adjust to the new light level. Nearly
choking when he recognized the race of his captors. Fred watched as
the Thorans approached his cell. One of them muttered something in
a guttural language that Fred didn't recognize. Looking at Fred the
same one repeated himself louder.

“He wants to know who you are and how you got here.”
Addy explained that she was able to sense what they meant
mostly.

“I am Fred and I don't know how I got here.”

The leader spoke to another of the thorans and he
produced a small device, tapping on the screen a few times it made
noise in the same language as the thorans. Fred assumed it was some
sort of translation device. A few more noises and some of them
began muttering to themselves. Fred wasn't sure what to think until
one of them addressed him.

“Using the device the leader seemed to accuse as much
as he interrogated. You speak the tongue of a human. Earth is a
protected world. It is not technologically advanced enough to be
able to send people into space. Humans are weak and backward. How
are you here? Answer me human.”

Addy sent a glimpse of the mind of the leader. It was
rife with suspicion and fear. It seemed that this group were
fugitives from something. The idea of something that Fred could
only define as terrorism passed through his mind. Fred tried to
explain that he was from another world.

“You lie, humans cannot move between worlds.” Addy
sent a warning.

Fred realized that no matter what he said the leader
was not going to believe him. Seeing Addy in her battle form in the
cell behind the group he got an idea. Feeling the earth around him
he sensed where the bars connected with the earth. Fred began to
take a bending form and shifted the stone around the bars. Letting
Addy know his plan the bars began to fall. The group wasn’t paying
attention to Fred and his escape because Addy had engaged the
rearward members of the group. It was another moment before Fred
freed himself and launched at the disorderly group. He was
pleasantly surprised when the first one crumpled at his impact.
Turning from the fallen thoran he flung some loose rocks at
another. Addy flung a few darts at the remaining thorans. Near
instant paralysis took all movement from any that the darts
touched. Fred took a look around the room even as he felt the blade
at his throat.

“You are not a human. You lie. What are you? And that
creature tell it to stop or you will die.” The thoran twisted
Fred's arm behind his back.

Feeling Fred's pain Addy snarled and sent out vines
covered in thorns. “Please stop, I can't fight him.” Addy still
writhed in rage but she restrained herself.

“You are a pathetic weakling human. Your bones will
bleach in this cave.” There was a shower of sparks as the thoran
slashed the knife at Fred's throat. Addy took the opportunity to
fill the thoran’s surprised face with darts.

“Are you OK? I saw him slice your throat.” Addy was
examining the stunned Fred. There wasn't a single scratch. “Your
skin is as hard as a rock!”

“Coming to his senses Fred decided to move before any
other thorans discovered them. Deciding to avoid drawing attention
he used his bending to navigate the tunnels. Addy and Fred skirted
the edge of the larger caverns and began working their way towards
the surface.

Addy warned Fred just as they turned the corner into
the surprised thoran party. He reacted instinctively as Addy moved
into the attack. Fred ducked the first thoran but was caught by the
next one with a swing. Crashing into the wall Fred noted that he
hardly felt it. Bending the nearby rocks he flung them at the
thorans. One of the thorans that was dodging Addy's tendrils
noticed the projectiles and with a surprised look and a shove
deflected the rocks. Advancing on Fred who levitated a few rocks
around himself in defensive positions. The thoran bent a few
smaller rocks at Fred who easily redirected them. The thoran looked
annoyed when he levitated a couple boulders and sent them at Fred.
Fred realized that he was the stronger bender when he broke the
thoran's will and dodged the boulders. What he hadn't counted on
was the thoran being right behind the rocks. Reacting in time to
dodge the first blow but not in time for the second swing. Being
caught full in the chest Fred was again surprised that he wasn't
even phased. Fred shoved back the thoran was caught off guard and
fell backwards. Fred noticed that Addy had subdued the rest of the
thorans. The look on the recovering thoran's face made Fred pause.
A message from Addy confirmed his suspicion.

“Stone skin” was the translation that Addy sent of
what the thoran had said. At those words the rest of the conscious
thorans stopped struggling. “Who are you?”

Not this again
Fred thought. “I am a human not
from earth. Who are you?”

Taking a moment to activate his translation devise
the thoran responded with, “I am Savos of the thoran security
force. Humans are not a warp capable race. How is there humans on
another planet?”

“The refuge planet. The ascended took us there to
protect us.” Fred responded.

“You mean the protectors?” Savos looked stunned.

“I have heard them called that.” Fred wasn't that
surprised that they knew of the ascended. After all there were
thorans on the joined worlds.

“How did you get here?” Savos seemed confused.

“I don't know. That is what I was trying to figure
out when I found myself in a cell being interrogated.” Fred
remembered the feeling of his life about to end and shook his
head.

“We don't have any patrols in that direction, who was
interrogating you?” Savos seemed more confused now.

“I don't know who he is but he tried to kill me.”
Fred was a little more than upset at the memory.

Savos seemed about to respond when a detachment
entered the cavern, noticing the situation and the scattered
unconscious thorans around the room they took a defensive formation
and began training their side arms on the two strangers.

Yelling something at the officers something about a
protected race. Savos stepped forward and tripped, landing on his
face. One of the officers seemed to think that Fred had made a move
and fired a bolt at Fred. Fred watched his life pass in front of
his eyes for the second time in that day. Feeling the heat from the
blast Fred looked at his chest seeing the hole in his jacket. His
skin was red hot but it wasn't melted, he hardly felt to heat, the
skin looked like woven stone. Watching for a moment he saw it cool
and the texture fade into normal skin. Looking up at the soldiers
he saw the one that fired at him disabled from a punch from the
head officer’s hand.

“You are sure he is a protected race member?” The
commander asked.