Subject: Catalina Rodriquez
Date: June 26th, 2030
Time: 02:00
Wah! Wah! Wah!
The alarm woke Catalina up with a jolt. She had a rather particular dream that a storm was destroying her house. This was happening increasingly often, but this time the storm had dragged her along.
She had never told anyone about her dreams. Not even her mother, who would probably do on about how these dreams mean some portent of some major event. She loved her mother, but she really didn’t have the bandwidth to deal with her mother’s superstitions and her studies. She was bogged down between her rounds in the hospital and studying and going to class.
She groggily hit the snooze button and grunted.
It was going to be another long day. She barely got back to her small apartment the previous night.
Her schedule for today was busy.
In two hours, she was to meet with her study group, then three hours later she had her rounds in the hospital. Then she would study some more in the library.
Hopefully she will be able to go back to the apartment, instead of sleeping in the cafeteria. Those plastic benches are not very comfortable.
She got up, took a shower and horridly put on her scrubs.
The street was crowded with unmanned taxis and the occasional personal vehicle. This didn’t bother Catalina, because she usually takes the subway. The station was a few blocks from her apartment.
As she stepped out, it was pouring rain, an out of season rainstorm.
It didn’t bother her; she had always carried an umbrella. But the wind was a problem.
She bumped into a person.
She turned around to apologize and noticed that he wasn’t moving.
He was a man who was in his forties wearing a suit and tie. He stood motionless.
“Sir, are you alright.” she asked. She approached him, taking her phone out and checking the time.
He was still motionless. She put her hand in front of his eyes, “Please, blink if you can hear me.”
No reaction.
She tried to dial emergency services, but a dialing tone came from her phone.
“Dammit, though I paid that,” she said standing up then she froze.
The few people there were stood there motionless, not reacting to the world. Cars were stopped in the street. Birds were frozen midflight.
“Okay, we are now in X-files territory,” She whispered. As soon as she said this, she started hearing chanting.
The thing was she could not locate the source of the chanting.
“Great, now I am hallucinating, is this another dream.” She said, pinching herself.
“Okay, not a dream, I am too lucid.”
As soon as she said, this the chanting got louder and the end of the street started to darken. A wave of darkness began to approach.
She started to run to no avail. The wave overtook her in seconds.
She now was in a dark space with the ever-louder chants.
“Where am I?” She asked the myriads of voices chanting in vain. The voices continued their chants unimpeded.
The darkness receded, and she found herself in the center of an amphitheater. A group of robbed strangers surrounded her.
“Where am I?” she asked.
“That is complicated,” A voice with a distinct drawl answered behind her. She turned towards the voice, to see a rather tall black man stoop down with a hand raised toward her.
He was wearing a blue button shirt and jeans, and leather work boots.
She took his hand. “Thank you. But what happened?”
“We’ve been fucking kidnapped,” The man said, “and the terms for our release are fucking shit.”
“I’m confused,” she said.
“Yeah, I am too, that old man will explain more, they just thought that having me do the greetin’ would be better.”
“So, where are we?”
It looked like some crazy cult with all the robes and torches.
“Not Earth, I can tell you that much,” he said,
‘That’s crazy,”
“I know, I’m havin’ trouble beleivin’ it myself. But that’s the goddam truth.” He said.
“Show me.”
He frowned and looked at the old man who nodded.
“All right,” He said. He led her out of the amphitheater, she noticed three guards followed in the distance. Their spears in hand.
He took her outside.
“Look,” He pointed down the road, they were apparently at the entrance of whatever compound they found themselves in. In front of her lay a grand boulevard, lit by torches.
She could only see a distinct outline of the road by the torches that lit either side.
“This….is impossible.” She spoke. It was like those shows her friends watched all the time, some person is pulled in a different world, but it was happening to her, and by the way this man spoke, him as well.
“I wish it were, then I would still be with my family,” The man said. “Name’ s Kenneth Johnson, sorry for not introducin’ myself earlier.”
Kenneth stuck his hand out again.
“Catalina, but you can call be Cat,” she said, taking his large hand in hers.
She finally got a good look at him. He was three inches taller than her five-foot nine stature. They were both taller than the guards and most of the people she had seen in this strange world. It was amazing, but…she had family. She remembered those shows, how happy the protagonists seemed, but they never returned home, in most of them. ‘
She had family.
A mother she won’t hug or argue with again. A father, who won’t give her either good or horrendously bad advice. Cousin’s she won’t see ever again. Friends she will never talk to.
It was like all those connections had died, leaving her all alone.
“I need to sit down, “She said. Kenneth nodded.
They found a bench, still followed by the guards.
“Are you alright, ma’am.” Kenneth said.
“Call me Cat or Catalina,” Catalina said, “No, no I am not alright. I just realized I won’t see my family again.”
“You don’t know that. “
“I’ve seen these stories, I know how they end.”
“You know you may be right,” Kenneth said, “But if there is chance that I see my girls again I will take it, even it is zero. I can’t …. I have to believe that there is a chance.”
He looked at her. “I have a feeling’ that they are going to ask us to do some heinous shit. That Pope is not to be trusted. I’ve seen his kind before, but he has all the power.”
She nodded. She had guessed as much. “So, you have a family?”
“Yeah, a wife and a daughter, haven’t spoken to my pa and ma for a while. But I guess they’re still around.” He said. “I was with Beatrice and Nicole when….”
Catalina remembered, the time freeze. She couldn’t imagine that happening to her family or how that would affect her.
She put a hand on Kenneth’s shoulder. He shuddered almost like he was trying to pull away, but then he just slumped forward.
“If there is a chance, maybe you will see them again.” She whispered.
It felt weird comforting a stranger, but their shared circumstance helped bridge the gap.
A figure approached them.
He was a younger man. Younger than that older man, that Kenneth had called the Pope.
“I must say, this whole endeavor, was …eventful.” He began to say.
“You sound familiar,” Kenneth said.
“I was the one you so rudely threw against the other men.” The figure said, “My name is Father Claudius.”
There was something odd about Claudius, but she couldn’t put a finger on it. It seemed like he was putting on a show.
“You kidnapped us, “Kenneth said, “You were wearin’ hoods. You looked like goddamn Klan.”
“We rectified that didn’t we? Plus, I am not aware of what the this ‘Klan’ is. So, forgive our transgression, it was one born of ignorance.” Claudius interjected.
“You still fucking kidnapped us, is that a fucking ‘transgression” Kenneth repeated. He was standing now, towering over Claudius, who seemed all too happy to antagonize Kenneth.
“If there was another option, we would not have summoned you.” The monk/priest/whatever said. His smile wavered.
“Then why were we summoned?” Catalina interjected, she kind of liked seeing the monk sweat, but they needed answers.
“Haven’t you guessed, war or at least the Phantom of war.” Claudius said.
She sort of assumed that or some natural disaster. “But how are we supposed to help, can’t you train your own soldiers.
“This kingdom, this nation faces a multitude of foes that are exceedingly difficult,” The monk said. “Centuries ago, heroes saved life on this continent, these heroes were capable of so many feats, but they disappeared. You are our attempt to recreate them.”
“So, we’re weapons, tools,” Kenneth’s voice was tinged with a layer of disgust. “Puppets for you to fucking use.”
“You are …. a means to an end.” Claudius said.
“So was Anicetus lying about going home?” Kenneth replied.
Catalina watched the priest’s reaction.
“I am not sure it is possible to return you home, but the heroes from the past did disappear as if they did not exist. So, they may have gone back from whence they came.” Claudius seemed more honest, his earlier antagonism seemingly disappeared.
The last sentence, at least, she believed it was the truth. That the previous heroes disappeared and may have been sent back home.
This thought did not relieve her, it just made things more complicated, it still left them with little to no option to return, besides trusting this mysterious country and organization to keep its word after they complete the job.
Still, she wanted to believe them. Despite her reservations, she wanted to do whatever it took to go back home. Damned the consequences.
A thought kept pervading her mind
Think about your mother, your father, Your cousins, Brenda, Katherine, and Maria. Think about Cathy, you forgot to ask her on a second date, think about her pretty blue eyes and how she laughed at all your bad jokes.
Think about your career. If you comply, you can see them again.
This cascade of thought caused her head to hurt. She so wanted to believe these thoughts, even though she knew there would be costs if she complies. She had seen veterans, the injuries both visible and invisible that they have endured. Could she bear those consequences, on the off chance she could see her family again?
She sat down; Kenneth turned towards her.
“Are you okay…Cat,” He asked, pausing before saying her name.
“I’m just tired.” Catalina said, and it was true. She had only woken up, yet it felt like she stayed conscious for over two days.
“I think I need rest.” Catalyna said.
“Yeah, I hear you, my eyelid has gotten mighty heavy this past thirty minutes.” Kenneth replied.
“There is a cabin that has been prepared for you.” Claudius said, “I was meant to take you there.”
Claudius looked at the pair of guards and motioned for them to leave.
“But sir…”
“I don’t think that they will be any problem, plus I am also a wind mage.” The priest said, “I think I can handle showing our guests to their accommodations.”
The guards complied, grumbling.
When they were outside of earshot. He sighed, “Finally, those loose lips are gone. If you will follow me.”
Catalina stared.
“Sorry, sometimes I have to play into my position,” Claudius said.
“And that position is.”
“I am in charge of the study of history and astrology,” Claudius said, “I also dabble in a little subterfuge. I am the one observing your transition into this world. “
“I thought we were going to be trained by soldiers.” Kenneth said.
“You will, but you need to be educated.” Claudius said, “You need to learn magic. So, you can’t be taken down by elderly men.”
Kenneth stiffened.
“How many of us are there going to be?” Catalina asked. “It can’t just be us two.”
“We have just summoned the third person of your particular cohort.” Claudius said.
“There are at least four other cohorts, but you they are in separate cities, so you most likely won’t encounter them, at least in the early training. This is a…. rather limited endeavor, until we can count all the potential errors.” He continued in a flat tone, not denoting any emotion.
We’re test subjects, prototypes. The thought ran in the background of her head.
“That makes it sound as if we aren’t people,” Kenneth said, inadvertently speaking what was on her mind.
“But you are.” Claudius said, “You are people and more.”
Kenneth scoffed, “Don’t hit me with that we need to ‘liberate’ the savage’s bullshit.”
“Liberate savages.” Claudius said, a snicker forming. “I wish it were that simple.”
He started walking and motioned for them to follow.
“There are no savages, just ‘heretics’ and traitors and apostates,” Claudius said, with a hint of what sounded like sarcasm. “Whether you save them is one thing, but we need an edge on the people behind them the dwarves and orcs to the north.”
“Dwarves?” Kenneth said.
“Yes, they are a particularly inventive race, our engineers are having trouble keeping up, worse we believe they are funding several separatist movements.” Claudius said.
“So, you are in a cold war.” Catalina said.
Kenneth flinched, but Claudius looked back at her with a question in his eye.
“I do not know what this ‘cold war’ is, that sounds rather counterintuitive.” He said.
“It means, two countries fight using intermediaries or public influence, while not officially engaging in conflict.” Catalina said.
“That is a rather apt term.” Claudius said.
“Cold wars can be hot,” Kenneth butted in, “God, do I know.”
Catalina looked at him. A question forming in her mind, but looking back at Claudius, she decided it was best to ask when the untrustworthy priest left them alone.
“We have arrived.” The trio had arrived at what appeared to be a rectangular log house,
“This will be your abode for the next few weeks or months depending.” The Pope said. “We will have evening dinner at dusk and a morning feast at just past dawn.”
Father Claudius opened the oak door. Kenneth and Catalina stepped inside.
The log house was spilt into two rooms and an attack that was accessed by a wooden latter. The first was where they entered, it seemed to serve as a kitchen and an entryway.
“There are three beds in the bottom room, and a palate in the attic, if one wants to sleep there. I hope this is to your liking.”
Catalina looked to walk around the small entryway/kitchen. She looked at the fire pit, and the iron grill.
It was…. adequate.
Claudius bowed, “I must help with the third’s arrival, so I will go.”
19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡmShS0kPGe6
He turned around and before he left, he looked back and said.
“If it is some comfort, I am deeply sorry for this. If I had a choice, then….” He stopped himself then left.
Catalina found a chair and collapsed in it. Kenneth took a chair opposite her.
“So , who else do you think they dragged here,” Kenneth asked.
“I don’t know,” She answered.
19Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡl6Nh6TCVbw
and then Add to home screen.