Havok Bringer

Chapter 28. Brad

CJ was still fuming after his interaction with Elvis in the crew HAB, so he decided to go into the settlement to update Andrew’s parents and see if they needed any help with anything since there was nothing else he could do for the time being.

As he walked toward the gates of the settlement, he saw Andrews's dad with a group of several people giving directions.

“Hey, uh… Andy’s dad?” CJ said, only now realizing that he didn’t know the man's name.

“You can call me Mike, any news on Andrew?” Mike asked.

“Nothing new yet. He made contact with Tiff and said everything was okay. Well, as okay as it can be if you are stuck fighting your way through a tower full of monsters in a pocket dimension.”

As CJ relayed the news, he noticed a subtle change in Mike’s expression. His brows furrowed, and his eyes, once filled with hope, now mirrored the concern that CJ had been trying to shield him from.

“I understand, Mike. It’s a lot to process. But remember, Andy has grown. He's not the same person you last saw. If there's anyone who can navigate this and emerge stronger, it's Andy. I believe in him, and I know you do too,” CJ said, his hand resting firmly on Mike’s shoulder.

“Thanks, CJ. I know that Andrew has these new powers and new friends to watch his back, but you gotta remember that he was a junior-level field engineer at a mid-size firm when the drop happened. It’s not that he wasn’t a capable young man but who is ready to take on the things that he has. Me and his Mom worry.”

Mike’s attention was drawn away from the conversation as a man stumbled and spilled filth from the settlement outhouses all over himself.

“Damnit, Brad, this isn’t Hollywood! You either pull your weight around here, or I’ll put your ass on the road and you can take your chances with the road bandits and aliens!” Mike yelled at the man, trying to gather himself out of the filth, but to no avail. He slipped again and fell back into the mess.

CJ stared, dumbstruck, as he pointed at the man, “Is that Brad….”

“Yeah, that’s him. Big-time movie star before the drop. He was making a movie out near Fort Polk when everything went to hell. He managed to make it through the years after the drop, but as time passed, people cared less and less about who he used to be. Nowadays, if you can’t offer some sort of tangible value to the people around you, then you are just about worthless. Case in point,” Mike Pointed at the sandy-haired man who had finally managed to get himself up and was now watching into the nearest ditch.

“You good, Brad?” Mike asked.

“Yeah, Mr. Dawes, all good,” Brad replied with a thumbs up.

“Go down to the creek and get yourself cleaned up. When you’re done, I need you to grab that scythe from the shop and go cut the grass around the outside of the fence and be sure to do it right this time, you did a piss poor job last time, and now the grass is knee high,” Mike said.

“I got attacked by red wasps last time, Mr. Dawes; I passed out after the 8th one stung me in the face,” Brad said, throwing his hands up in the air in frustration.

“Well, boo freakin hoo, Brad. How about you don’t hit the wasp nest on your backswing this time? Pay attention to your surroundings and do the job right! Excuse me, CJ, I need to go show Mr. Hollywood how to cut grass. Do me a favor and come by the house tonight for dinner. Mrs. Dawes will make something nice for you and your friends, and you can tell us if you all have any idea when our son will be back. Sound good?” Mike asked.

“We will be there, Mike. There is no news to share right now, but we could use a good meal.”

“Good, see you all this evening then,” Mike replied before walking over to Brad and continuing to berate him.

Matty had walked out of the HAB and stood mouth agape beside CJ.

“Is that…” Matty asked, pointing at the man that Andrew’s Dad was yelling at.

“Yep, that’s him. Seems he is having trouble adjusting to his new way of life,” CJ replied.

“The world really is upside down, isn’t it?” Matty asked.

“Things are definitely interesting, that is for damn sure,” CJ replied.

After making several more drones, I decided to make my way up to the safe room to take stock and see if there was anything that could be useful in this new environment. The safe room was much like the one from floor one.

“At least they are keeping the safe room design the same,” I said as I approached the flowing white door.

I walked into the door, expecting to see the same room setup as floor one, but was surprised to see a much larger area. I was struck in the face before I could take in the full scope of the changes.

“What the fu…” I said, lifting my hand to my chin, trying to figure out what happened.

“I believe someone hit you, Captain,” Sherlock said in my ear.

I spun, trying to locate the intruder, but saw nothing. I heard a whoosh as I turned to face a hallway and saw only white feathery wings before I was hit in the face again and fell to my knees while the world faded. Just as I slumped to the ground, I looked up to see Kaj smiling, fist still clenched.

“This is going to be fun,” Kaj said as he fell back into a chair and bellowed laughter.

I woke with a start a few minutes later. I was getting used to being knocked unconscious, unfortunately. I saw Kaj still sitting in the chair, one leg tossed over the side as he ate what looked like a peach.

“Kaj?!” I asked, shaking the fuzz from my head and getting to my feet.

“Who else would it be?” Kaj asked,” Did you not request me to be sent to this place to aid you in your quest?”

“Well, yeah, I did, but I didn’t ask to be punched in the face repeatedly; I know that for damn sure.”

“That was a lesson, Andrew. How can you expect to learn if you cannot even identify the lessons?” Kaj asked with a chuckle.

“Lesson? What kind of lesson is it to blindside someone as they are walking into a room that is literally called a safe zone?!”

Kaj stood and offered his hand. “The lesson is that safety is earned only through being thorough and prepared. Never trust safety that is given; only trust safety that is earned. Today, you have learned that lesson, I think.”

Kaj grabbed my hand and pulled me in for a hug. It had only been a few days, but finally seeing someone from my crew was a relief.

“Good to see you, Kaj.”

“And good to see you, Captain,” Kaj replied.

“So, how exactly did you get here? I thought you would be coming, but I wasn’t sure how it would be done,” I said.

“Much the same as you, Captain. I was standing with Tiffantrimore having a conversation and I was suddenly warped away. I spent some time with what I believe is the Coeus, and they informed me that I would be brought here to aid you. I will not be able to influence anything outside of the safe room physically, but I will be able to assist and prepare you while you are in the safe room,”

“I’m glad you’re here Kaj, God knows I can use the company but how are you going to help me if you can’t interact with the world outside of this room?” I asked.

“Oh, this is much more than a room, Captain. There is a common area, Kitchen, bathroom facilities, a medical facility, and, most important of all, a training complex. I believe you made the right choice in bringing me here. Once the Coeus explained what was happening, I was surprised that you didn’t bring one of the other crew members, especially CJ or Tiffantrimore. Especially considering your relationship with the latter,”

“Relationship?” I asked, nervously rubbing the back of my neck.

Kaj looked at me and raised one eyebrow.

“Captain, do you believe that none of us have noticed? I would never mention it in mixed company, but it is obvious that your feelings for Tiffantrimore have blossomed into more than a strictly professional interest. I must say that it is refreshing to watch young people dance to the tune of the heart and the rhythm of the loins. I look forward to seeing what blossoms from the seed of desire the two of you have planted!” Kaj placed a hand on my shoulder and put the palm of his other hand on my chest.

“Did you just say… rhythm of the loins?” I sputtered.

“Yes! But there is no time for that now; we must get to the business of building you into a master of death!”

“Please, and I ask you this with all the respect in the world, Kaj. Ne-ver use the phrase rhythm of the loins around me again,”

“Captain! My people are masters of war and masters of words; we are both instruments of war and vessels of the words that ignite passion. I can no more change that part of me then I could make my wings disappear. Words are the weapons that cut through the calluses of the heart. Do not be afraid to let yourself be overtaken by the passion of poetry!” Kaj exclaimed, “Now, on to the training room!”

The safe room was, in fact, now more of a safe complex. The design was changed to accommodate another person and provide training facilities. When I received my reward on the first floor, I didn’t think much of it. I needed help and just assumed that somebody from my crew would be brought here to help me. I wanted Kaj because I had recently discovered that he was a much higher level than anyone else in the crew. On top of that his job was to literally train young royals from his world in the ways of combat.

I didn’t expect that the person I brought would be unable to physically assist me in battle. I also didn’t expect to get a sweet upgrade to the safe room, but I was definitely not complaining.

I walked through the safe room complex and saw a couple of rooms conveniently labeled with digital placards. There was a kitchen, Medical facility, and Training room. There were also rooms labelled with Kaj and my names.

“Okay, so we train?” I asked as we entered the training room.

The room was a large square room with a charcoal grey floor and white walls. It contained a multitude of training aids, including weapons and training dummies. Everything needed to train in hand-to-hand and weapon combat was available for use. There was even a shooting lane on one wall. The lane stretched out past the perimeter of the room approximately 100 feet, with moving target dummies on rails.

“Not yet,” Kaj replied, “ I need you to update me on the situation. I need to know what we are up against and how I can best assist you with the coming challenges. The Coeus briefed me on what exactly it is that we are doing here. Andrew, this thing you are doing is going to change the universe. For good or bad, I do not yet know, but the change is coming, nonetheless. I need to make sure that you are not only prepared for the challenges you will face here, but the challenges that come after as well. Now tell me everything.”