Jaylon floated weightlessly in his spacecraft, surrounded by the endless expanse of the universe. He gazed down at the planet below, it was mesmerizing in its beauty. The planet was coated by a strange, swirling atmosphere in shades of purple and green that he'd never seen before. Several irregularly shaped moons orbited. It looked peaceful.
"Careful Rook, that's one place you do not want to go," the intercom buzzed as Jaylon returned to the pilot's seat. It was a small shuttle, with only enough room for him. The interior was surprisingly spacious, given its compact size. The cockpit was located at the front of the shuttle. To his left, there was a small but well-equipped living and sleeping area, complete with a comfortable bed, a mini kitchen, and a washroom.
"It's hard to believe. That. This is Gehanna…" Jaylon responded.
"Yeah well. Believe it. Why do you think the hazard pay was so big on this job? Can't deny, the universe is a safer place because of it. Anyway. You prepared for slingshot?"
"Yes sir. Go in five, four, three, two, one," Jaylon counted. His shuttle was prepped and prepared to use the planet's gravitational force to slingshot him onto his next destination. "And go," he pressed the ignition but the engine misfired. He pressed it frantically over and over, but the engines continued to stall. "I've got a problem here, going to miss my window."
"Calm down Rook. You're still in orbit. Take a breath. Run systems check. You've got eighty-two minutes until you come round again. Now, sit back and ride that gravity baby," the man on the intercom said. Jaylon flipped a few switches, and the onboard computer began running diagnostics. He peered out the window once again. What the… He thought. The magnificent planet only moments ago now exuded danger. It resembled a dark, ominous orb, with tendrils of black smoke rising from its surface. The atmosphere was now a mass of ominous clouds, pulsing with dark energy and lighting.
"Uh. Jaylon. What are you doing?"
"Sorry I got a little distracted, still running systems check—"
"Get back on course now, if you continue to deviate—" the intercom was overpowered by the ship's alarm system. He was exiting orbit and losing altitude, fast. "Get back on course, now!"
"Nothing's working!" Jaylon said. The thrusters were dead, and the ship's navigation was unresponsive. He was now hurtling towards Gehanna. "Prepare for a crash landing. Initiating emergency protocol," Jaylon took two large wires and connected them above his dash into a small beacon. "Signal looks good, coordinates being sent now," Jaylon continued as the ship descended. "Mission control, do you read me? Mission control. You should be getting my coordinates in real-time—"
"Hey Rook…" the intercom responded.
"Not funny man thought I lost you there for a second—"
"Listen. Uhm. Damnit. Look." there was a long pause. Jaylon gripped the joystick stick tightly. "No one is uh. No one's going to come down there for a rescue," Another long pause. Jaylon smiled uncomfortably like someone making an awkward joke he didn't quite get.
"Come on Shawn, stop playing around here,"
"We won't be able to drop supplies down either. Now I need you to listen closely. We're going to lose comms any second now."
"Shawn what the hell man—"
"Listen! I've been instructed to relay the following instructions—" the intercom buzzed with static cutting in and out. "You need to—, make sure—, whatever you do, don't— I repeat do not—." Jaylon could barely understand a word through the static. As his ship free fell there was only one sentence he heard clearly before his system completely failed.
"You're on your own Rook, Godspeed."
Are we so easily corrupted? Does evil pass through us from generation to generation? A genetic makeup destined to cause pain and suffering. Are we born in the dark only to discover the light? What if we aren't guided or nurtured? Will we be swallowed up in an eternity of darkness?
Or are we beaten down, children of the dawn thrust into a merciless world left to decide for themselves what is worth saving? If any of it. What of our souls, at the very least? Are they beyond salvation? Or should we light them ablaze, and watch the world burn?
The ringing was so familiar at this point that Skye hardly noticed. A low-frequency hum emitted from a small device on the ceiling alerted the recruits that it was time for training. His eyes were open within a second, he had to be ready. It came at all hours, day or night. Skye rolled over at 3:15 a.m. It was the last week of training, and soon, he'd become a protector of The Structure. The excitement electrified his entire body. He donned his training gear effortlessly, carefully, and mindfully. Every piece had become a part of him. He'd been training for a while now. Time and age were strange concepts in The Structure. Birthdays were never celebrated, never even acknowledged. Yet by his estimate, most of them had been training for 1,825 days. Five years. His first childhood memory came when he was perhaps two or three years old. It was from the training arena. They were sparring with swords, possibly katanas. Extrapolating from that information, fast forward to today. Maybe he was sixteen; most likely he was seventeen. Less likely eighteen, but all entirely possible. Skye hoped he was on the younger end. He wasn't small for his age, or in general for that matter. Five-ten built like a gymnast. Lean and athletic, but that was below average. Going up against some of the other recruits that could be described as nothing less than behemoths. He would lose hand-to-hand combat every time. Their trainer told him to focus on technique, perhaps he should. The ego-driven stubbornness with which he wanted to physically overpower his opponent was a losing strategy. Skye looked around his room one last time to make sure everything was tidy. Not that it was especially difficult to keep his ten-by-ten sleeping quarters with a single bunk clean and organized. It wasn't much, but he was grateful for the privacy, and it was all he'd ever known. He exited his room and began jogging down the stone hallways toward the training facility. The underground hallway was lined with sleek, polished stone walls that glowed softly in the low light. The floor was smooth and even, made of gleaming tiles that helped reflect the glow. Recessed lighting in the ceiling provided even, bright illumination. Being underground, the air was fresh and cool, and the ventilation system provided a steady breeze that was relished by the patrons, creating a sense of nature and environment, even when there was none. Despite its modern appearance, there was a sense of timelessness and durability, it had been here for centuries and would remain for many more. Many thoughts raced through his mind this morning, but above all else. was the dreadful prospect of not receiving a Brilliance and thus becoming a Duud. Such a derogatory moniker; after all, they practically run The Structure. Skye thought. Why couldn't they call it anything else? It was cruel and demeaning. Skye's long strides ate up the distance. He moved with grace and fluidity, his feet barely seeming to touch the ground as they glided through the air as he ran. Skye navigated the turns of the hallway with ease, his body perfectly in sync with his surroundings. He could do this with his eyes closed while running backward. Which, in fact, is something he'd done successfully on a dare once. As he was about to round the next corner a fist came flying at him. Skye ducked easily, almost bored by the attempt.
"I think you're getting slower," Dorian smirked. A man blessed by genetics. A staggering six feet six, his curly silver hair dangled below both shoulders. He rarely took anything seriously, or at least that's what he wanted people to think. Skye knew all Dorian wanted was to get strong enough to lead his people to a better life, a life beyond The Structure. He often caught Dorian training alone, after everyone was too exhausted to even move a muscle. Skye respected him. He had no doubt that Dorian would be given the Brilliance of a lifetime. Next week, everything will change. They walked through the final hundred feet of tunnels together.
"Getting sick of living down here?" Skye asked.
"Never. If it were up to me, I'd stay down here forever. In fact, I'd recommend we dig tunnels even deeper. And forget anyone leaving The Structure, no, everyone would—"
"Okay, okay. I get it. No need to be a mutz," Skye said. Dorian ruffled Skye's hair as one does to a little brother.
"How bad do you think it's going to be out there? Are you scared? I made a bet with Bryn that you'd serve your full five-year term without a complaint," Dorian said. It was a feeble attempt at a compliment., but he appreciated it. Skye knew anyone who abandoned their duty to defend The Structure would be exiled.
"Oh, yea? What did she bet?" Skye asked.
"She said you wouldn't last a year. And by wouldn't last she meant," Dorian winked and ran his thumb across his own neck.
"Mutz," Skye said once again.
"Don't let Almanon hear you using that language," Dorian joked, giving Skye a small shove. Skye paused, then took off in a full sprint. "Yeah, you better run!" Dorian sprinted after him. On their way, they passed a retired Journey Man. This was the nickname given to those who served and lived outside the walls. Dorian and Skye slowed down to pay their respects. Senshi Katuzuma rarely slept and wandered the tunnels at all hours. Some say the outside world drove him mad. Others believe he went crazy with boredom. His service ended over forty years ago. He wore a dark red velvet suit, typically only worn on the day the Journeymen returned home from their service. It was a ceremonial garment. Now frayed and stained. The suit was on its last legs.
"Will you be joining us at training, Senshi? The ceremony's next week," Dorian said. It took Senshi a moment to respond as he was still taking in his surroundings. Then as if he had finally realized he was safe at home and recognized where he was. Senshi stood and straightened out his suit.
"It's all lies you know," Senshi said.
"Oh? And what deep dark secrets do you have for us today?" Dorian smiled, shooting Skye a look as if to say. I wonder what the old man's got for us today. Senshi opened his mouth but hesitated. As if remembering something painful and just like that, the light gently faded from his eyes. The listless gaze stared past Dorian and Skye. Without another word, he wandered the opposite way down the hallway. Skye was quickly becoming impatient.
"Come on, man, I want to be the first one there," Skye said, but Dorian didn't budge.
"What do you think you'll be given? They say you get a sense of these things. You can already feel it becoming a part of you. I feel the essence of the wind. It's hard to explain. I can feel it throughout every inch of my body," Dorian said. Skye knew he'd be gifted immense power. The Brilliance was the only thing that had kept them alive for so long and Dorian would be a warrior for the ages. "Does that make any sense? What do you feel connected to?" Dorian asked.
"It's best not to focus on such things, it distracts from training. When the time is right. I'll know," Skye said hiding behind a confident facade.
"I see you getting something primal and ancient. You're going to be the toughest of us all. Or. Just for irony's sake, you'll become a—"
"Dorian, is there a point to this? Or for the love of Kaia, can we train," Skye was stern, but his words had little effect.
"I can't see you playing a support role. Do you think anyone will get the light? We could desperately use someone like that. How long has it been anyways, thirty years?"
"Seventy," Skye said, rolling his eyes. Dorian never did anything he didn't want to do. "Look, I'm leaving—" but before Skye could finish his sentence, Dorian took off sprinting.
Skye was furious to find out they weren't the first ones there. Bryn was there working the climbing wall. A fantastic way to build strength and endurance. It also mimicked much of the outside landscape. Sand and rock, with many cliffs. A skill not to go overlooked. Her hair was grown down to her hips, but only on the right side. The left side was completely shaved. Reminiscent of the warriors of old. They would often braid their hair, rather than have it free-falling, but she hadn't been given a Brilliance yet. She hadn't earned it yet.
"Have you noticed the alarm's gone off approximately twenty-three percent more in the last month?" Bryn said as she dangled effortlessly from a finger crimp on the climbing wall. The full scope of the room was impressive. There were balance beams, parallel bars, rings, and tumbling mats. It was equipped with a caged sparing ring and finally, an obstacle course called The Leviathan. Skye thought back to the first time he approached it. Stepping up to the starting line, feeling the anticipation and adrenaline coursing through his veins as all the recruits and instructors watched closely. They would analyze every movement, every misstep, every breath. The first challenge was a series of tall walls, eight feet, twelve feet, and sixteen feet. Having to scale them using nothing but a slim rope. The memory of his muscles burning with the effort flooded back. Next up was a series of balance beams, each one narrower and more unstable than the last. Walking carefully, trying to maintain his balance. A misstep would send him tumbling into to floor which was flash heated to sixty degrees Celsius. Anytime a recruit fell and hit the ground their skin sizzled and burned. Only for a moment. Enough to leave a scar, but no long-lasting damage. Then, at the end of the balance beams, a front dive into freezing waters. The recruits must be able to swim thirty meters underwater. There was no coming up for air, as the pool was covered with thick cement, it was all or nothing. Finally, as he came up for air, there was a corridor. Skye remembered being immediately struck by the chaos that unfolded before him the first time. Thin lasers were shooting out in all directions, crisscrossing through the air and creating a web of bright, shifting lines. It was difficult to see anything beyond the lasers, which came from every direction all at once.
He hesitated at the threshold, only for a moment, any longer would lead to dishonor. Mistakes and failures were common. Fear and cowardice were unacceptable. The lasers moved too quickly for him to navigate safely, he glanced down the corridor, searching for a way through, but there was none. Skye took a deep breath and tried to focus. There had to be a way through this maze of lasers. He took his first few steps into the corridor. Stay calm and think. Gauge the movement of the lasers and find a path between them. There was no pattern to the madness. The lasers formed a complex, ever-shifting helix that was almost hypnotic to watch. They wove in and out of each other, forming intricate shapes and designs that changed with every passing moment. It was hard to keep track of them all, and he found himself getting lost in the swirling, mesmerizing display. Skye was only able to take five steps into the corridor before the first laser struck him. Then. Darkness. He was woken up several minutes later by Almanon, their trainer. It took two years for him to be able to navigate the corridor without getting knocked unconscious.
"No one would notice that but you Bryn," Dorian said interrupting Skye's daydream. He shook it off, focusing back on Bryn.
"How'd you get here before us? Your room is on the other side of The Structure," Skye interrogated her. They were always harsh with each other, sharp in their tones. This came from their intense desire to lead. They held high self-imposed expectations. There were no true rankings or official titles among recruits. That didn't stop them from naturally picking a leader.
"Even if I was prepared the moment the alarm buzzed, there would be no way for me to get from my bunk to the training facility before you. Even at a full-out sprint, I'd barely make it. I'd be out of breath. To top it all off I wouldn't have time to climb this wall. Therefore?" Bryn teased as she leaped down from the wall, sticking the landing.
"Therefore, you were given your Brilliance early developed the gift of teleportation?" Dorian teased as he began to climb the wall after her. She laughed, which was something only Dorian was able to make happen. He had this uncanny ability to connect with all his peers, Skye was always envious of this.
"Therefore…?" She asked, directed at Skye this time.
"Therefore you must have already been here."
"For sixty-five minutes to be exact, I've changed my training regime, it's far too intense and complicated for you to comprehend. But when we get chosen next week and I want to be ready. Especially if I'm going to lead us out of this place someday."
"Are you sure that's what the people want?" Skye asked.
"This place is dying, Everyone's slowly giving up," Bryn said.
"Maybe people are adjusting to peace."
"Look I've always tolerated you, Skye. You're going to be strong."
"But?"
"But that's it. I need strong fighters, and you're going to be one of them. But that's all you'll be. Maybe even my lieutenant one day, if Dorian doesn't want the job. I, however, will be the one to lead us. A leader needs to be flawless in all things. And you. Aren't. The rest of the recruits won't follow you. The Structure wasn't built for us to stay here forever, the population's dwindling. It's as if Reikner's keeping secrets. He must know— " Bryn stopped mid-sentence. Purposely biting her tongue. Skye couldn't tell if it was to keep a secret or because she was tired of having to explain everything to him. The harsh truth he had to accept was that Bryn was a genius. The rumble of grumble of the rest of the recruits entering the facility got louder. Few were ever happy to be up this early. Lastly, Almanon entered. Their mentor. He had toured for fifteen years outside The Structure. Part of the last group of recruits to serve for such a long time. After that, they started decreasing service time to five years. Skye had heard stories that the guardians, the originals, would serve until death. Almanon commanded respect everywhere he went, and his Brilliance was incredible. He could create small gravitational fields around any object that he pleased. Sparing against him was nearly impossible, within minutes his opponent would be pinned down on the ground or sucked up against the wall.
"Gatha round, gatha round," Almanon spoke as if the very act of creating words was more laborious than he could bear. "Skye Curca, hmm. Check. Dorian Gension. Hmm. Yes. Bryn Morigua. Perrfect," he continued roll call. Which was always excruciatingly slow and painful. If Skye hadn't seen his combat experience firsthand, he would never believe this man, to be one of the greats. When he was done, a seriousness washed over him. Like a painful memory was resurfacing. Or a sadness of what was yet to come. "You will all… In times of great peril. nah… Everyone must face their destiny… Or er. You've been given…" Almanon trailed off further, not quite sure what point he was trying to make. "You get your Brilliance's next week. If you don't have each other's backs. You will die." He paused, thinking further. "Yes. You absolutely will die, in uhm horrible ways," Almanon nodded, satisfied, like he'd given some grand speech. "Right, let's get to training."