Gatekeepers21 : The Dimensional Cycle
Disclaimer: any and all characters that are brought in for cameos (which won't be until later, are the sole properties of those who created the Gatekeepers saga, not I. But all original characters and innovations are the complete manifestations of my imagination. Please enjoy!
Author's Note: If I do not get some of the terminologies, or some certain aspects right, please feel free to tell me, and although I may argue some of them, I will give you credit as a source of correctness, and make the adequate changes. Also, if you are reading along and have any suggestions, or scene ideas, feel free to throw them in. This is the second series I've had a go at, but don't think me novice. Just haven't had the time to get at the dozen different series that I'd like to go after.
---------------
I. Introduction
He glanced down at the scanner. The IPW signatures weren't quite numerous, but there was a small concentration. The glow from the screen created a strange sort of contrast on his face. He looked around at the train station. The exterior lights created an artificial afterglow, even though the twilight wasn't yet so dark. It wasn't exactly Los Angeles Union Station, but it was adequately designed for the city it served. The station was an open-air design, with small covered sitting areas on platforms made into islands by the surrounding tracks.
There probably weren't any more than a few dozen people waiting for the few last trains of the evening, but the crowd did seem a little larger than it should normally be. Chris shrugged to himself as he readjusted the backpack he had across his shoulders. He couldn't be sure, as he didn't usually take trains this late, but if even a few Invaders had decided to congregate, it couldn't be a good thing. Time to go to work, he thought with a casualness that he tended to assume on these low priority actions.
He stepped through the small arched gateway into the platform area. A handful of conductors and station staff were drinking coffee, or were patrolling around. Most all of the people waiting for trains were on the platform, a couple near one of the vending machines. One staff person was standing next to the ticket dispenser.
"Excuse me," Chris said to get the man's attention. Chris thought it would be best to make his arrival look commonplace while drawing a bit of attention. The man looked up from staring at his shoes. "Hi," Chris began in an unassuming manner, "I was wondering about the 7:05 train to Grandston, will it be late this evening?"
The station man looked at Chris for a moment, almost blankly. "The 7:05?" He looked at the schedule of trains on the dispenser machine. "You must be mistaken, there is no 7:05. There's a 7:23, though, but that's heading south, not north."
"Hmm, okay, thanks. Mind if I check the train display on the central platform? I think I must have gotten myself turned around on the bus, and I want to check something." Chris made it sound like a small request.
"Sure, I guess, but if you are going to use a train, make sure you get a ticket." The man waved him along.
"No problem. Thanks." Chris stepped across the tracks and onto the central platform where he went to the digital readout of the trains scheduled for the day. The last train going towards Grandston had left a little over an hour ago. Good thing to keep in mind, Chris thought. As he looked over the read-out, a couple of hairs on the back of his neck prickled. He watched the man he had spoken to a moment ago from the corner of his eye..
The guy was just staring at him. A level expression, almost no emotion whatsoever, he was just staring. The guy hadn't even made a remark about a bus not coming near the station for almost half an hour. Chris reached into his pocket and pulled out the scanner, the signals had jumped in intensity. Something was definitely going on.
Someone stopped behind Chris, and put their hand on his shoulder. The scanner went back into his pocket as he casually craned his neck around to find another station staff member. "Finding everything alright?"
"Yes, I am. Is there something wrong?" A small smile playing across Chris's face.
"Not at all, simply heard that a station patron was having trouble finding a train. Found it?"
"Oh, no, not yet. You see, I'm trying to get to Pomona, but I am not sure which train will get me there faster."
"Oh, well, the next train coming through in ten minutes will get you there, but I thought you needed to get to Grandston."
"Grandston?" Chris said casually, "Why would anyone want to go to Grandston?"
"Why don't you tell me?" A strange smile began to twist across his face.
Chris looked and the man at the ticket dispenser was just starting to cross the tracks towards the central platform. "Just out of curiosity," he asked the station staff member, "have you seen anything out of the ordinary around here recently?"
The man had stopped smiling. "Out of the ordinary?"
"Yeah, anything strange or unnatural? I mean, it's not like I'm talking about transdimensional Invaders, or anything." Chris made it look like a laughable idea.
The man actually began to chuckle. The man from the ticket dispenser had stopped right on the track, just standing there. "Yeah, what a funny idea," the man's voice had changed, the pitch and tones began to get blended, and it sounded more and more un-human with every word, "no, nothing strange at all."
"That's what I was hoping you'd say," Chris began to reach into his jacket for one of three cell phones, even as a dozen or so other people on the track began to get disfigured, and stretch slightly out of proportion. A woman, whose husband had just changed began to scream. A child somewhere was crying, and other people just started top back away from the changing individuals with hasty panic.
The Invader man, Chris had been speaking with, looked at him with beady, black eyes. "Now, you wouldn't want to do that, now would you?"
Chris stopped in mid-dial. "Why do you say that?"
"That Imitation Gate could do more damage to the humans than to us," the Invader said with satisfaction in it's twisted voice.
"Huh, a smart Invader," the smile became a rueful grin on Chris's face. "That's a good joke, I'll have to remember it."
The Invader paused. "And the innocents?"
Chris smile slipped a bit, as he glanced around at the frightened people. "You have a point." The phone disappeared into his pocket.
"You are a very smart little Gatekeeper," the Invader said with a hint of coming victory.
"Why, thank you, I pride myself on my resourcefulness." In Chris's mind's eye, a greenish colored Gate formed, and he could feel the energy racing through him. With a spreading motion of his arms, a small wave of energy rippled away from him, and threw the Invader backwards.
A look of surprise crossed the Invader's face as it collided with the one standing on the tracks. They both fell backwards, but were already starting to get up.
"Now watch as I use that resourcefulness." Chris widened his stance slightly. "'BioEnergist Dissemination'", he called out, "Gate Open."
Concentric rings of energy opened around him, even as the Gate formed. The ring of energy formed into a dozen or so small spheres of energy which quickly shot into the air, and still spinning broke formation and flew in all directions in an umbrella formation, and plastering each Invader before it could react. Each Invader screamed inhumanly as it was vaporized. The people on the platforms had frozen in silent terror, until a moment later when the only audible sound beyond the background street traffic was the tingling sound of the BioCrystals bouncing to the ground.
Chris looked around, and realized his mistake of openly engaging the Invaders. A problem of witnesses. Then he smiled again, even as the solution came to mind. He pulled out the Imitation Gate phone again, and started to dial up a different codex.
Chris stepped forward on the platform where he was sure he would be both seen and heard by everyone on the train platforms. "Can I have your attention? Everyone, please remain calm, and redirect your attention to me for a moment."
One man had stopped panicking long enough to pick up a BioCrystal that had moments ago been a good friend of his. His attention was diverted to Chris, however, even though his still held the strange looking gem.
The man watched with everyone else, as the teenager who had called everyone's attention held up what looked like a cell phone. From the cell phone came a strange sort of light that seemed to hover in the air. It began to take the shape of what the man could only describe as an aurora borealis. It flickered and danced, even as his shock and panic over the recent events at the station began to fade.
The man blinked, and looked around. He rubbed his eyes and thought that he must be tired. He could only think of dancing lights. He shook his head at such a crazy notion. Everyone on the platform seemed to be feeling the effects of a long day. The man looked at his hand, as it was outstretched in front of him. He flexed his fingers, and shook his head again. In the distance, a train horn blasted through the air. People around the man started to stand, as they got ready to take the train home.
Authorities would later be mystified at the strange disappearances of several station staff people. But for the moment, no one would notice a single teenager leaving the station, with a small pouch full of sparkling crystals, who was just then closing a cell phone with the words 'Gate of Mirrors' across the display.
------------------------------------
Did you like this? Did you not like it for some reason? Do tell, but don't flame. This is only the first part of several stories I intend to post, so please be patient.
Disclaimer: any and all characters that are brought in for cameos (which won't be until later, are the sole properties of those who created the Gatekeepers saga, not I. But all original characters and innovations are the complete manifestations of my imagination. Please enjoy!
Author's Note: If I do not get some of the terminologies, or some certain aspects right, please feel free to tell me, and although I may argue some of them, I will give you credit as a source of correctness, and make the adequate changes. Also, if you are reading along and have any suggestions, or scene ideas, feel free to throw them in. This is the second series I've had a go at, but don't think me novice. Just haven't had the time to get at the dozen different series that I'd like to go after.
---------------
I. Introduction
He glanced down at the scanner. The IPW signatures weren't quite numerous, but there was a small concentration. The glow from the screen created a strange sort of contrast on his face. He looked around at the train station. The exterior lights created an artificial afterglow, even though the twilight wasn't yet so dark. It wasn't exactly Los Angeles Union Station, but it was adequately designed for the city it served. The station was an open-air design, with small covered sitting areas on platforms made into islands by the surrounding tracks.
There probably weren't any more than a few dozen people waiting for the few last trains of the evening, but the crowd did seem a little larger than it should normally be. Chris shrugged to himself as he readjusted the backpack he had across his shoulders. He couldn't be sure, as he didn't usually take trains this late, but if even a few Invaders had decided to congregate, it couldn't be a good thing. Time to go to work, he thought with a casualness that he tended to assume on these low priority actions.
He stepped through the small arched gateway into the platform area. A handful of conductors and station staff were drinking coffee, or were patrolling around. Most all of the people waiting for trains were on the platform, a couple near one of the vending machines. One staff person was standing next to the ticket dispenser.
"Excuse me," Chris said to get the man's attention. Chris thought it would be best to make his arrival look commonplace while drawing a bit of attention. The man looked up from staring at his shoes. "Hi," Chris began in an unassuming manner, "I was wondering about the 7:05 train to Grandston, will it be late this evening?"
The station man looked at Chris for a moment, almost blankly. "The 7:05?" He looked at the schedule of trains on the dispenser machine. "You must be mistaken, there is no 7:05. There's a 7:23, though, but that's heading south, not north."
"Hmm, okay, thanks. Mind if I check the train display on the central platform? I think I must have gotten myself turned around on the bus, and I want to check something." Chris made it sound like a small request.
"Sure, I guess, but if you are going to use a train, make sure you get a ticket." The man waved him along.
"No problem. Thanks." Chris stepped across the tracks and onto the central platform where he went to the digital readout of the trains scheduled for the day. The last train going towards Grandston had left a little over an hour ago. Good thing to keep in mind, Chris thought. As he looked over the read-out, a couple of hairs on the back of his neck prickled. He watched the man he had spoken to a moment ago from the corner of his eye..
The guy was just staring at him. A level expression, almost no emotion whatsoever, he was just staring. The guy hadn't even made a remark about a bus not coming near the station for almost half an hour. Chris reached into his pocket and pulled out the scanner, the signals had jumped in intensity. Something was definitely going on.
Someone stopped behind Chris, and put their hand on his shoulder. The scanner went back into his pocket as he casually craned his neck around to find another station staff member. "Finding everything alright?"
"Yes, I am. Is there something wrong?" A small smile playing across Chris's face.
"Not at all, simply heard that a station patron was having trouble finding a train. Found it?"
"Oh, no, not yet. You see, I'm trying to get to Pomona, but I am not sure which train will get me there faster."
"Oh, well, the next train coming through in ten minutes will get you there, but I thought you needed to get to Grandston."
"Grandston?" Chris said casually, "Why would anyone want to go to Grandston?"
"Why don't you tell me?" A strange smile began to twist across his face.
Chris looked and the man at the ticket dispenser was just starting to cross the tracks towards the central platform. "Just out of curiosity," he asked the station staff member, "have you seen anything out of the ordinary around here recently?"
The man had stopped smiling. "Out of the ordinary?"
"Yeah, anything strange or unnatural? I mean, it's not like I'm talking about transdimensional Invaders, or anything." Chris made it look like a laughable idea.
The man actually began to chuckle. The man from the ticket dispenser had stopped right on the track, just standing there. "Yeah, what a funny idea," the man's voice had changed, the pitch and tones began to get blended, and it sounded more and more un-human with every word, "no, nothing strange at all."
"That's what I was hoping you'd say," Chris began to reach into his jacket for one of three cell phones, even as a dozen or so other people on the track began to get disfigured, and stretch slightly out of proportion. A woman, whose husband had just changed began to scream. A child somewhere was crying, and other people just started top back away from the changing individuals with hasty panic.
The Invader man, Chris had been speaking with, looked at him with beady, black eyes. "Now, you wouldn't want to do that, now would you?"
Chris stopped in mid-dial. "Why do you say that?"
"That Imitation Gate could do more damage to the humans than to us," the Invader said with satisfaction in it's twisted voice.
"Huh, a smart Invader," the smile became a rueful grin on Chris's face. "That's a good joke, I'll have to remember it."
The Invader paused. "And the innocents?"
Chris smile slipped a bit, as he glanced around at the frightened people. "You have a point." The phone disappeared into his pocket.
"You are a very smart little Gatekeeper," the Invader said with a hint of coming victory.
"Why, thank you, I pride myself on my resourcefulness." In Chris's mind's eye, a greenish colored Gate formed, and he could feel the energy racing through him. With a spreading motion of his arms, a small wave of energy rippled away from him, and threw the Invader backwards.
A look of surprise crossed the Invader's face as it collided with the one standing on the tracks. They both fell backwards, but were already starting to get up.
"Now watch as I use that resourcefulness." Chris widened his stance slightly. "'BioEnergist Dissemination'", he called out, "Gate Open."
Concentric rings of energy opened around him, even as the Gate formed. The ring of energy formed into a dozen or so small spheres of energy which quickly shot into the air, and still spinning broke formation and flew in all directions in an umbrella formation, and plastering each Invader before it could react. Each Invader screamed inhumanly as it was vaporized. The people on the platforms had frozen in silent terror, until a moment later when the only audible sound beyond the background street traffic was the tingling sound of the BioCrystals bouncing to the ground.
Chris looked around, and realized his mistake of openly engaging the Invaders. A problem of witnesses. Then he smiled again, even as the solution came to mind. He pulled out the Imitation Gate phone again, and started to dial up a different codex.
Chris stepped forward on the platform where he was sure he would be both seen and heard by everyone on the train platforms. "Can I have your attention? Everyone, please remain calm, and redirect your attention to me for a moment."
One man had stopped panicking long enough to pick up a BioCrystal that had moments ago been a good friend of his. His attention was diverted to Chris, however, even though his still held the strange looking gem.
The man watched with everyone else, as the teenager who had called everyone's attention held up what looked like a cell phone. From the cell phone came a strange sort of light that seemed to hover in the air. It began to take the shape of what the man could only describe as an aurora borealis. It flickered and danced, even as his shock and panic over the recent events at the station began to fade.
The man blinked, and looked around. He rubbed his eyes and thought that he must be tired. He could only think of dancing lights. He shook his head at such a crazy notion. Everyone on the platform seemed to be feeling the effects of a long day. The man looked at his hand, as it was outstretched in front of him. He flexed his fingers, and shook his head again. In the distance, a train horn blasted through the air. People around the man started to stand, as they got ready to take the train home.
Authorities would later be mystified at the strange disappearances of several station staff people. But for the moment, no one would notice a single teenager leaving the station, with a small pouch full of sparkling crystals, who was just then closing a cell phone with the words 'Gate of Mirrors' across the display.
------------------------------------
Did you like this? Did you not like it for some reason? Do tell, but don't flame. This is only the first part of several stories I intend to post, so please be patient.