Too Far Gone, page 1
part #3 of The Jaxon Grey Chronicles Series
A Dedication to…
I dedicate Too Far Gone to my loving wife, Kaleigh Hackett. When the world of Tatora was just an obscure thought in my mind, she was the one to provide encouragement and advice along the way. She also told me how difficult it would be to write an entire book, let alone a series, so, of course, “Challenge Accepted!” As I progressed with book one, So Far Gone, she was (and has remained) a big part of the process. I somehow convinced her to edit my work (pro-bono I might add), but soon it became apparent that she had her own awesome input for the Tatoran world. I'm proud to say that book two Gone But Not Forgotten, the novella Lorthredo & Montaug: A Brother's Tale, and book three Too Far Gone, were joint efforts. They wouldn't be the stories they are today without her inspiring contributions.
Too Far Gone
By
J. Wright & K. Hackett
About the Author
Jonathon Wright began writing The Jaxon Grey Chronicles in 2012, and the series now includes three books, a short story, and a novella, with more on the way. So Far Gone is the first book in this expanding series, and was self-published in May of 2015. In addition, he also has plans to write a Revolutionary War era novel based in and around his hometown.
Jonathon was born in New Jersey and raised in the rural town of Montague. He graduated from Sussex County Technical School's Engineering program in 2010, and then went on to receive a Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice from Johnson & Wales University in 2013.
Currently, Mr. Wright resides just outside of Rhode Island's capital, where he lives with his wife/co-author, Kaleigh, and their two cats, Stevie Wonder and Dolly Parton. During the week he works full-time for The Providence Center managing a residential program that assists individuals with mental health and substance use issues, while on the weekends he spends his time at Crossroads RI working to end homelessness.
Table of Contents
Part One
Prologue
Chapter One – Where We Left Off
Chapter Two – New Leadership
Chapter Three – Demtrius Returns
Chapter Four – A Judgment Is Made
Chapter Five – The Mercerians
Chapter Six – Peace Talk
Chapter Seven – Dotaran Revelations
Chapter Eight – We Go To Work; I Am Examined
Chapter Nine – The Dracari Tree
Chapter Ten – We Need Detriminium
Chapter Eleven – Mission Plans
Chapter Twelve – Metamorphosis
Chapter Thirteen – A Scynthian Surprise
Chapter Fourteen – A Parting Gift
Chapter Fifteen – Flight Of The Aramis
Chapter Sixteen – Fire & Ice
Interlogue One – Ryane’s Plan
Part Two
Chapter Seventeen – On The Hunt
Chapter Eighteen – The Conundrum
Chapter Nineteen – The Captains’ Address
Chapter Twenty - Thuric
Interlogue Two – Ryane’s Plight
Chapter Twenty-One – Return To Mercer
Chapter Twenty-Two – Rengar’s Decision
Chapter Twenty-Three – Friends Come With Benefits
Chapter Twenty-Four - Tzulamay
Chapter Twenty-Five - The Unification Ceremony
Interlogue Three – Ryane’s Doctor
Chapter Twenty-Six – From Dusk
Chapter Twenty-Seven – Till Dawn
Interlogue Four – Ryane’s Escape
Chapter Twenty-Eight – Day 340
Interlogue Five – Ryane’s Fight
Chapter Twenty-Nine – Kismet
Epilogue
Map of Tatora
Part One
Prologue
Time wore on as Ryane continued to read Jaxon's second journal, locked away in her sealed off room on the Scynthian planet. She had nothing else to do to occupy her time, so she read fast, waiting for Orric's return.
She had read all about Jaxon's journey, starting with his disappearance from Earth, his ordeal in the Pit of the Gyx, his meeting with a telepathic tree-being, and later his escape from Aanthora. Next came his arduous journey across the Tatoran continent, where he found himself battling pirates, traversing underground waterways, and befriending Ishmae, High Chieftain of the Sapphire clan. She had recently finished reading about Jaxon's trek north, across the frozen tundra, where he and his group had finally made contact with Demtrius' people, the Dotarans.
Here she had taken a short break, interrupted by Orric. Once he had left the room, using his device that could open portals in solid walls, she thought hard about how she might escape. Nothing practical came to mind. How many sci-fi movies have I seen with Jaxon? she thought. There must be something useful from at least one of them.
Two human servants entered her room, a male and a female. They carried in her food and water, smiling at her but not saying a word.
Maybe I can befriend them, she thought. Perhaps it could lead to extra food and water, or special privileges. It could potentially help her to figure a way out of this place. She had no way of knowing for sure, but she knew doing something was better than doing nothing.
“Thank you,” Ryane said to them. “How are you doing today?”
Neither servant replied, just widened their smiles, gently placing her meal near her.
“Do you eat the same food?” Ryane asked.
Both servants gave simultaneous nods, and then walked toward the portal.
“It's delicious,” Ryane replied. “Is it always the same?”
The servants just smiled over their shoulders and continued to walk out. The portal snapped shut right behind them, and Ryane was alone once again.
Maybe next time, she thought, reaching for the food dish. She finished her meal in no time, using her hands since she wasn't afforded any utensils. With no napkins either, she licked her fingers clean and wiped them dry on her pants.
Time for more reading.
Chapter One
Where We Left Off
Life can be incredibly irritating at times. So much so, we tend to lose sight of what's really important and what our goals should be. For me, my biggest goal at the moment is getting back to Earth; getting back to you. Life sure is testing me, though.
It would have been easier to just give up and start anew here on Tatora; but I persevered, overcoming every obstacle with the help of my friends. Just when things seemed to finally be falling into place, and just when I thought I'd really make some headway on getting home, life hit me again. I had finally made it to the Dotarans, along with my Dotaran friend, Demtrius, our human ally, Mya, and our Scynthian companions, Nadina and Pharon. We had travelled through a bleak and frigid landscape, and at last had made contact with Demtrius' people, only to be immediately captured and incarcerated. The Dotarans apparently didn't trust us, not even Demtrius, one of their own. Now we were left to wait for their judgment.
But like my late father used to say, "Such is life." Things will happen or not happen, and most of the time there isn't much we can do about it. I am getting a bit ahead of myself though. Let me just pick up where I left off.
*****
"Demtrius?" asked one of the Dotarans skeptically, not believing his own eyes. He looked just like his two companions, and they all looked eerily similar to Demtrius. "Is it really you?"
"Yes, it is I," Demtrius replied. "I have finally returned."
“This is wonderful,” said the Dotaran. "We saw your signal from above, but none of us could believe it was actually you. Where have you been all these months? We thought you had been killed when your ship went down."
"I will tell you all that has transpired in due time," said Demtrius, "but, for now, we are all terribly cold and hungry, and are in much need of a warm night's sleep."
"Of course," said the Dotaran. "You must be exhausted from your journey."
The Dotaran then turned to the rest of us. He reached for a small compact computer that he wore on his back, as did his two companions. He pulled it forth and I watched him press a single button. Without warning, I was instantly frozen in place, completely incapable of making any movements, not even to speak. It was just like in the cave on Earth, right before I came to Tatora.
"There is no need for that, Delfwig," Demtrius protested.
"We can't take any chances," said Delfwig. "You, of all people, should understand, especially with the Scynthians."
Demtrius went to argue, but thought better of it. Then, when he regained his calm, he said, "I do understand, better than most I would say, but I have spent a great deal of time with these people. They are my friends. I would trust any one of them with my life, even the Scynthians."
A shared look of disgust crossed the Dotarans' faces.
"The four of them are our allies, not our enemies," Demtrius told them. "I vouch for them all."
"That is fine, but we still must follow protocol," said Delfwig. "Nothing personal."
"Very well," said Demtrius, knowing he was at a disadvantage. "I expect a judgment to be made and their release authorized post haste."
"If it be the will of the Captain's Council," Delfwig replied.
"Captain's Council?" asked Demtrius incredulously.
"Much has changed since your disappearance," said Delfwig, "but, as you said, there will be time for that later. For now, welcome home."
"Thank you," said Demtrius. "It’s great to see you again, Delfwig."
"You as well," Delfwig replied, offering a slight smile. "Please join me in my cabin later for a drink."
"I would like that," said Demtrius.
They had, of course, been speaking in Dotaran, so I was the only other person able to understand them. It mattered little, however, as Pharon, Mya, Nadina, and I were completely immobilized by the strange Dotaran devices.
Demtrius turned to me. “I'm sorry, but we will sort this all out at the Aramis.” He then started following the Dotarans back toward the iceberg.
Delfwig touched a few buttons on his compact computer, and the four of us static prisoners were lifted off of the ground, completely at the will of the Dotarans. We floated there for a second, and were then drawn forward, following Demtrius, Delfwig, and the other two Dotarans as they smoothly ascended to the top of the iceberg where their flyers were stationed.
Suddenly, though I was completely immobile, I felt Thiesel's incoming presence. He came slithering up the side of the iceberg, lunging right for us. Delfwig quickly but calmly removed the compact computer from his back and pressed another button. Thiesel came to an abrupt stop just feet from us, frozen in place just as I was. I could sense his confusion and consternation. And then I began to sense his pain. I tried to scream out for Delfwig to stop whatever he was doing to Thiesel, but it was impossible to utter even a sound.
“Strange for such a beast to be this far north,” said Delfwig. “Don’t worry; this will only take a moment.”
He went to press another button, but Demtrius jumped in front of him and reached for the compact computer. Delfwig pulled away from him, confused by Demtrius’ actions.
“Please, do not kill him,” Demtrius beseeched.
“Why not?” Delfwig asked, considerably bemused.
“He is a pet of sorts, and loyal to the male human,” Demtrius explained quickly. “We call him Thiesel, and he has been a reliable ally in our endeavors.”
"Interesting," said Delfwig, as he pressed another button on his compact computer, instantly alleviating much of Thiesel’s panic. "We will release it once we are safely in the air."
"Thank you," said Demtrius.
Mya, Nadina, Pharon, and I were then placed in the rear compartment of the larger flyer, while Demtrius and Delfwig sat at the controls in the front of the ship. We were separated by a thick pane of glass-like material that rose from the floor, effectively cutting us off from the cock-pit. The moment the ship was powered on, I was finally able to move my body again.
“Demtrius has gone back on his word,” Pharon said immediately. “I knew we shouldn't have trusted him.”
“He's done nothing of the sort,” I replied. I was stretching my arms and legs, relieved that I had control over them again. “Everything will be sorted out once we get to the Aramis.”
To be honest, I wasn't even angry with our apparent incarceration. In fact, if I had been in their position, I probably would have done something similar. Indeed, they had little reason to trust us yet. That simple reasoning failed to satisfy Pharon, however, and he continued to complain for most of the remaining flight. I’m not sure if Demtrius and Delfwig could hear him through the glass-like pane, but I thought it’d be better if they didn’t.
Now that I could move about freely again, I turned to look out through one of the ship's small, circular windows. The sight of the frozen sea was much more pleasing from this vantage point. I was almost shocked, though, when I saw Thiesel scurrying after us on the ice below, following the shadow of our ship. He moved with incredible speed as he tried to keep pace with our shadow, but eventually we lost sight of him as we sped off high above the ice. I was sad to see him fade away in the distance, but something in me knew I’d see him again.
Chapter Two
New Leadership
It was a short flight to the Aramis, which lay hidden on a large, low lying island covered with snow and sporadic clusters of what looked like evergreen trees. Our sleek vessel zipped through the sky at incredible speeds, with the ship’s mattertron providing a comfortable, non-turbulent flight. If we had possessed one of these ships at the start of our quest, then we could have made it to the Aramis from Aanthora in just a matter of hours. It was frustrating to think of, considering all we had been through to get here. Life is a journey though, and no one ever said it was going to be pleasant.
Before making it to the Aramis, we flew over a short mountain range, beyond which was a frozen lake. At the far end of this lake was the ship, sunk mostly beneath the icy surface, and covered in layer upon layer of compacted snow. The only visible parts of the craft were its main entrance at its side and a landing platform on the top. Aside from that, the ship might as well have been a large hillside on the landscape, concealed as it was.
Delfwig maneuvered our ship toward the landing platform, followed in suit by the two smaller ships that accompanied us. The entire platform then descended as one massive elevator, and we were brought to a lower flight deck on the interior of the ship. Here, I saw dozens of other teardrop-shaped ships of various sizes, as well as ground vehicles and what appeared to be construction equipment, all assembled in clusters organized by size and type.
The platform our flyer was on suddenly rotated and shifted away from the opening, bringing us off to a vacant side of the flight deck.
Demtrius and Delfwig unbuckled their belts and exited the vessel, but the rest of us were left behind the pane of glass-like material.
“I knew they wouldn’t trust us,” Pharon commented for about the fifth time since we had boarded the flyer. “We’ll be prisoners now, but at least Dotaran prisoners are kept warm and fed.”
He seemed resigned to our apparent fate; all of us were, in fact. It was far better than running for our lives from the numerous Tatorans that wanted our heads, or staying out in the frigid cold as we had been. Still, I didn’t like to be at the mercy of others, and I had found myself in that position far too often on this world.
Three new Dotarans entered our flyer, and one of them was carrying the same type of small computer that Delfwig had used. He pressed a button and, before we even had time to object, the four of us were frozen in place again, absolutely immobile. He then turned about and walked away, and we floated after him as we had done with Delfwig.
I guessed the small computer must have been some kind of mattertron; only instead of creating a space between matter to move through unimpeded, it trapped us between the matter, confining us in intangible chains. I would have admired it more if I hadn't been its prisoner.
We moved quickly throughout the ship, hovering just inches off the floor as we were led down hallway after hallway and up several elevators. On the floor was always a series of different colored lines leading in dozens of directions. We seemed to follow the orange line, which eventually took us to a locked room guarded by a pair of crewmen. The guards stepped to the side as they saw our approach, and the door was opened, revealing a vaulted corridor filled with cells of varying sizes recessed into the walls. Each cell had clear, translucent walls, presumably made of the same glass-like material that had partitioned the flyer, and its occupants were completely visible.
I was suddenly aware that my heart was racing. The cells were small and far from enjoyable. They seemed impervious to any attempts at escape, and knowing we were helpless brought a fleeting moment of extreme anxiety. I took a few deep breaths, trying to remember that Demtrius was still free, and he would surely fight to get us released.
Our Dotaran escort brought us to one of the larger empty cells, shining a small laser at the clear barrier. An instant later, part of the wall shifted, creating an opening for us to pass through. I blinked, surprised by what I saw. It seemed different than the Scynthians’ technology. Instead of combining matter and making it more dense, this one simply re-arranged the material into a different configuration.
The Dotaran then pushed a few buttons on his compact mattertron, and our party of four floated gently into the cell. When we were all inside, the Dotaran closed the portal, and we were immediately in control of our movements again, free to move around the cell while we waited for judgement.
