The Foundation Zone: Extensions by Amber Millard (phonics readers txt) 📖

behind her. For a split second Marie panicked.

“Wait what do you want…?” Before she could finish the question Mcen touched her back which transported her back to her orb. The shields were down long enough to allow Marie a moment to observe the orbs that surrounded hers. One in the distance held the soldier, she tried to call to him, screamed even until she finally caught his attention long enough to say: “Hey, hey you have to fight him!” Shields closed simultaneously and the soldier whispered:

“But how?”

Now she was muted but her voice did carry; some people snapped out of their trance and looked over to the woman who seemed to call upwards. At the twentieth second all the orbs shot through the opening in the dome in a cluster shaped like a dart. Instantly they returned to the dimension they knew travelling faster than light towards Earth.

The orbs opened their shields as soon as the cluster zoomed past the sun, giving the unwilling passengers an interesting yet short scenic view of their return. Since Marie was on the outer part of the cluster, she, too, had a good view of multiple waves of sunlight rolling away from the sun.

Saatswei’ell and Aaksaun looked on from the viewing pucks.

“They won’t need our help to return home?” Aaksaun asked.

“No as soon as they clear the foundation zone the holding platform and their orbs will do the rest.” Saatswei’ell assured him.

“What will you do with your experiment now?” Ree’oal asked with a small group behind him, Bialai and Laand’ell included. The scientists turned, somewhat startled by the sudden intrusion.

“Well I’m shutting it down; after five millennia I’ve…excuse me, we’ve finally found a solution to returning to old Taksa.” Saatswei’ell declared. Ree’oal looked a little disappointed, staring downward for a moment.

“Grand Head Ree, is everything alright?” Saatswei’ell asked, surprised by the level of confidence he carried in his voice. Ree’oal recovered quickly, assuring the two that everything was fine and he expected the final report soon. When the group disappeared Saatswei’ell gasped for breath, over whelmed by what he had to say in the final report. His friend always came through in desperate times like that and that situation was no different.

“Haven’t you omitted anything in any official statement in your life, including this one?”

Saatswei’ell thought hard, looked over the room then the control panel, his friend’s question prompted him to recall a few times on old Taksa. There were times when he was unsure that he would leave out certain information, but this event was different, he witnessed a lot and he didn’t know how to lie about it. As Saatswei’ells band fluctuated to different shades of red then flipping to a solid white, signaling his life force has built up an extreme amount of energy and was finally touching the limit of it, Aaksaun shed his long coat to charge up his original form. He was attempting a diversion called a “Drift.” Basically a drift is as it sounds, a spirit body floating through anything, for this drift Aaksaun will agitate his friend by passing his highly charged form through Saatswei’ell. If he does it right he may only have to go half way. It seemed to be the case as his smoky distorted figure approached Saatswei’ell on his right with a distracting combination of light and noise. A few pops of energy and he was out of the danger zone. The apparition formed into Saatswei’ells longtime friend shaking him back to reality.

“Hey just snap out of it! Remember you know this experiment better than even him, he’s only interested in one part for himself.” Aaksaun tried to reassure his friend.

Saatswei’ell looked up and replied “That’s if he doesn’t already know half as much as I do.”

Saying that suddenly jogged a series of memories related to the experiment, with one thing in common: Saatswei’ell has never informed him on how to control your personal orb. He never told Ree’oal about his personal visits to Earth, time and time again. He doesn’t know how to make his own body or start over in a high energy location, but he is a fast learner and there is no question that he may have spied on the study. He and a trusted few.

“Why can’t he just start his life over? Why Earth, what’s so important over there? It’s not even as easy as half the planets I’ve discovered. I just want to check on home; see how those whom we’ve left behind are faring.” With a sympathetic look, Aaksaun escorted Saatswei’ell to the Chamber of Light and Darkness with Mcen in tow. Ree’oal reappeared with his posse in the room of the Ring of Elders.

“I don’t want to return to a ruined world; that place is scarred!”

The majority of the group looked at him with disappointment and confusion.

“But Grand Head, this is what we’ve been waiting for. Our return to old Taksa, this was our intention!” Cried one of the men, Bialai however, defended Ree’oals logic.

“What if we’re tired of home, aren’t you? I left because I was tired of rebuilding my life with nothing. There’s nothing there.”

“Have you looked back in the last thousand years, it’s no longer barren like the old war zone; in fact the old war zone itself is prospering. The seeds of life weren’t completely destroyed! Plants, animals, people, everyone and everything that we have left behind has flourished!” A Takzen shot back; Bialai stood in quiet shock while Ree’oal just looked on, indifferent about the news.

“That sounds nice but I’m not planning to return to that old place. I have plans and it requires a new home, fresh, different. Somewhere I can be appreciated properly. Unlike you soft pieces of stone!”

“How dare you! We’ve appreciated you be making you our Grand Head, your actions back on old Taksa have always been appreciated. If you can’t appreciate the world you’ve abandoned, the bloodline you’ve descended from…” Before the Takzen could finish his words Ree’oal blasted back,

“My bloodline is exactly why I’m doing this! You can keep that old rock you call home! I want more!” The elders stood there amazed but one was impressed and decided to end the argument once and for all.

“Fine, you’ve made your decision but if you find yourself in any distress, any trouble whatsoever then don’t look back, don’t even think to call for help because we were never here to assist you Grand… Grand? I think now is the best time to give you a new title, one that fits your true self.” As the elder made the declaration, Ree’oal eyed him hatefully.

“You shall be known from this moment as Ree’dihn!” The same fate went to the other four supporters including Laand and Bialai.

“This better be worth it.” Bialai threatened. Laand’dihn sympathized more with Ree’dihn because of the bloodline that they descended from could’ve put them in power a long time ago but it still would not have been enough to stop the war. Ree’s bloodline produced some of the best warriors in old Taksa along with Laand’s. Bialai’s family were more deep thinkers while Saatswei’ell came from good hunters, although he became an exception being too impatient.

“Patience Ree, she’ll come around once we reach Earth.” Laand calmly consoled Ree’dihn when the elders vanished.

“It’s not Bialai that makes me concerned, it’s the scientist.” Replied Ree’dihn, focused on a few past events that took place not too long ago.

Saatswei’ell paced back and forth to distract himself while finding the words to put in his final report. His mind was on her the moment she left, which he couldn’t control because a part of him was hitchhiking with her spirit back home. After minutes of struggle he decided to allow Aaksaun to take over.

“It’s too much right now to make this report; I want you and Mcen to sort through all the data. They’re separated into different segments of the experiment. It’s all there, just organize the last segment and you’ll have everything needed to give a graphic demonstration.”

“Saatswei if that is all then why don’t you just finish it right now?”

“Because I can’t focus right now, I’m wondering if she’s ok. Part of me is sitting dormant inside her until she wakes up, then she’ll become unstable until all of me is back together again.”

“What part of you did you give her?”

“Parts, bits and pieces of me. It was at the last moment, I forgot what to give her; I think I gave her some of my memories, my ability to track and… oh no.” Aaksaun gave a look of concern but remained quiet.

“I believe I might have passed on some of my affection for her!” Eyebrows and eyelids flicked up Aaksaun learned the revelation, then he asked…

“Will it have any effect on her natural bearing?” A moment of silence filled the void as Aaksaun waited patiently for a response. Saatswei’ell pondered on the question but gave no indication that his answer would come soon. Having him for a friend has forced Aaksaun to practice patience to a level not known by many.  However his attention shifted when the display changed and the control panel chimed. The display maintained the full Earth model while many pins moved to position themselves on various points of the model. As soon as the pins stopped they started splitting at the top, long enough to make a Y. Mcen returned from the launch room to explain.

“Saatswei’ell, Aaksaun what you’re looking at is a representation of orbs containing more than one life force. One half shows the name of the Takzen that’s sharing it.”

“Aaksaun I’m going to need your help.” Saatswei’ell declared as he approached a pin sitting over the same area as Marie’s.

“Ree’dihn. Ree’dihn? Mcen is there another Ree that might have crossed over?”

“No ell, as of right now Ree had his rank taken away by the Oal council because of his plans and was putting down old Taksa.” Fury boiled through Saatswei’ell; Taksa was his home and he loved it so much, he knew Ree never really cared for the old ways; it wasn’t hard to see the look of disdain, hidden behind his firm features. Ree’oal no longer, his new title made him fair game for anyone with a big enough grudge against him. He was responsible for holding Saatswei’ell back and putting down Aaksaun’s efforts to stop the war.

“Snap out of it Saatswei’ell!” Barked his friend, “We have to figure out how to stop him, we still have to make the report for council of elders. Now what do you want me to do?”

With new found purpose in his life Saatswei’ell approached his friend, “I’m going to teach you how to descend.” Aaksaun stared at his friend in amazement.

Chapter 14: Home

Marie awoke to the sound of murmurs and whispers, mainly in concern for her. For the time that she was away from Earth, her body had shut down. How that translated to the doctors in the hospital, comatose. The lightning bolt obviously shocked her system. Burn patches here and there, mainly along her back giving her skin a strange decoration but it was the strike that caused her to lose consciousness; the bolt locked up her body, preventing Marie from bracing the fall on the rocky parking lot.

“Who are you? What