Kfah's Stories-in-progress

“Fate” was something that Anthony had struggled with for most of his short life. He didn't like it. To him, were there a god, then it was a being of evil. A sadistic monster that scoffed at the very concept of fairness. If there were such a being, Anthony was ready to declare war upon him. It was this mindset that kept him with a calm demeanour. He didn't have time to worry; because, at any moment, he might need to take on that battle. Most others in the room carried the same steadfast determination. It was as if their entire lives had been for this expedition.

The room itself was vast. Walls of chiseled stone worn smooth over hundreds of years and in its centre a circular stone platform. It was currently littered with computers and cables, hooked up to what could best be described as a metal door frame. Around it, people were bustling quickly. Checking and modifying data. This wasn't the first time these engineers had done this. Anthony wouldn't be here if it was.

In front of him, his hands gripped the handles of a wheel chair. On his back, a pack of supplies. In the wheelchair, a young girl sat; her green eyes shone with the same hardened conviction. Her motives were different from Anthony's. He knew it. He had spent the last six years living for her. This endeavour was for her too. But, to her, this was for their foster family.

The Val'veeras were a wealthy family and had sponsored the entire project. It wasn't easy, or   legal, but the Val'veeras were used to dabbling in the forbidden and failure was practically bred out of them. If it wasn't for the link between Jess and the family head's son, both she and Anthony would still be stuck in the orphanage. Or adopted out to a more modest family for whatever, most often selfish, reason. But he wouldn't dwell on it. That attribute, that had spared them a fate of mediocrity, was the greatest curse he knew. And, it was why he hated the world.

The middle of the room lit up. A loud humming noise filled the room and echoed off of its solid walls. It was nauseating. The source of the light, the large door-like metal frame, now had a shimmering quality to it. But, it wasn't just light; it was an image. Green, lush, plant life as if it were a portal into another realm. That is, of course, because it was. A few in the room betrayed looks of wonder at the majesty of the situation. To most, inter-dimensional travel was nothing more than fiction. Yet, here they were, prepared and in formation for just such an experience. And so, those within the room began their procession into the foreign world.

When Anthony exited the portal everything went silent. He was shaky; his hefty gear pack and firearm nearly bringing him to his knees. The only thing stopping him was his sister's trust and well being. It was amazing how much power had went into stabilizing the portal from the other side; how amplified it became in the closed off stone chamber. Yet, none of that seemed to escape the portal into this jungle landscape. The next thing Anthony noted was the enormity of everything. He expected it, of course. It was in the advanced group's report. So was the healing properties of this land. That's why the whole operation had taken place. It was why he was here. Why Jess was here.

Before he knew it, the leaders of the group, platoon leaders, had been updated by the advanced group and they had set to work on setting up tents and barricades. Camp was mere feet from the portal, now gone, but its place was clearly marked. There were hordes of people in the camp. Mostly soldiers, they worked with precise co-ordination. There was good reason for the extensive training that went into the project. Despite its serene nature, it was known to be a dangerous world. So much so that their people had not wandered it in a hundred years. But that was the gambit of the rich; and they were the pawns.

Anthony was quick at work as well. Across from him, a woman in her early 20's. She wore a restrictive maid uniform. Frilly white apron-like design over black cloth ballooning out at the sides, yet still managing to conform to her gorgeous figure. Anthony's uniform was a sharp suit of the same scheme. It had been a condition for his living with the family; to train as a servant, but his abilities could not match someone who had been raised with the family. Especially not when she had over half a decade on him.

Jess sat a short while away, still in her wheelchair, a thoughtful expression painted across her face. It pained Anthony when he saw that look. It reminded him of how she lamented her condition. To be struck by guilt when she couldn't help with work. It only added to his scorn of life. Beside her was Ali, a brother to both of them but far worse for wear. Like Jess, he was also confined to a wheelchair. He was the visage of what would come for her if this last-ditch effort proved equally fruitless.

Meanwhile Elizabeth, the maid, had already pinned half of the large tent. As always, he was having trouble keeping up. He furrowed his eyebrows and picked up his pace. The strong energies of his desire to prove himself targeted to the task at hand. To him, Elizabeth had been a teacher for the three years she had worked with him. She had only just graduated the Val'veeras' standard servant training program but her seemingly endless skill-set continued to dizzy him even today. That majesty had not come without sacrifice, and at the time it was a breaking point for Anthony's youthful idealism.