Free Riders
Author's Note: I do not own any part of the Inheritance Cycle. The only characters I own are Blaster, Char, and a yet-unnamed dragon.
Prelude: Reality Shift.
Blaster was working under the engine-room control console when the alarm went off. He was the one who programmed that particular alarm, making sure that they were aware of the potentially deadly anomalies that littered space. They weren't deadly in the way of blowing up the Pegasus, the large ship that was shaped like a turtle with his head poking out, but it was potentially deadly on the other side, where anything could happen.
Blaster extracted himself from under the console, his former drive clothing from his time with Sora and his friends was grimy and almost out of the special magic that it held. Not that Blaster needed it, since he had regained access to the Crux Stones and the Boulder of Treo Cruex, the mystical stones that gave him his supernatural powers. He also had a crystalline blade on his belt, made specially for him when he had gotten back to his own reality.
"Blaster," a female voice said. Her voice seemed a little confused. "I just had a strange, silver stone appear from the anomaly. I'm preparing to beam it aboard."
"Send it to Science Lab 2," Blaster said. "Alice, activate the autopilot and keep us away from the anomaly. Char, meet me at the lab."
"Will do," Char replied. "I'm also sending word to Ashley and letting Cody and Wendy know what we have found and to be ready for any other details."
"And if we are suddenly sucked into the anomaly," Blaster continued, "leave a beacon so that they know we aren't here anymore."
"Understood," Char replied.
Blaster muttered as he quickly replaced the cover to the console he was done working on. He then raced to the Science Lab, running so fast that he decided to take the stairs as opposed to the elevator. Even then, Char had beat him to it, still wearing her drive clothing as well, but wearing her signature sleeveless leather jacket over her tank-top. She was already examining the silver stone with the ship's scanner. Several other, low-tech devices were sitting nearby.
"What have we got?" Blaster asked as he approached the stone. It was easily as big as a rugby ball.
"Looks like it's made out of a solid piece of stone," Char replied. "The thing is that it looks too perfect to be made with anything less than a super-precision laser. I mean, there are no imperfections, no tool marks, not even a sign that it was made with anything."
"And that's with the scanner?" Blaster asked. Char nodded, then stopped the surface scanner. "Have you tried the low-tech tools?"
"I was just about to do that," Char replied. She picked up a rather menacing claw-hammer and slammed the claw into the stone. She checked it again, and there were no marks. "Now that is strange. I'm seeing nothing. That hammer should have left a mark."
"Not only that, but I think it might not be solid," Blaster said. He took the hammer and tapped it again, and, heard a dull ring. "That should be a thump, so I have no idea what it is."
"Sensors are indicating that the anomaly is expanding," Alice said, the ship's female computer. "We may be shifting universes anytime in the next few seconds because I am unable to distinguish where the edge is, and how fast it is expanding due to our proximity to it."
"Prepare to beam us down, and have our weapons ready," Blaster said. He felt the ship rattle as the nose breeched the anomaly. Once they were through, the ship's engines seemingly exploded. "Emergency evacuation. Char, grab that stone."
Char grabbed the stone just seconds before the two were beamed to the nearest, and seemingly only habitable planet around. She found herself in the middle of the woods, surrounded by green, hairy men with horns, and one man in a black robe. Char immediately thought of the Organization, but the man seemed to have glowing red eyes. She then became aware of a second woman nearby, also holding a stone, but this one seemingly made of sapphire.
"Ah," the red-eyed man muttered. "There's the second one."
"Well, it happens to be in my possession, so I guess it's mine now," Char said. The man growled, and barked an order. The horned men drew their bows and aimed them all at Char.
"Listen to what I say," the woman whispered. Char then took notice of the woman. She had black hair, held out of her face by a headband. She wore leather clothing, showing off her lean, but strong body. The last thing that Char took notice of were the pointed ears, something she thought she'd never see again. However, her eyes weren't golden, so that proved she was good to go.
Char listened, then looked at the silver stone in her hands. She muttered something, then saw both stones start to glow. Char finally looked away as the stones become blinding. She looked away just as the red-eyed man fired a magic attack. As soon as the light dimmed, Char's eyes bulged seconds before she and the other woman was struck by what appeared to be red lightning. Her last thought before hitting the ground and blacking out was that Blaster would take care of the stone.
On the next Free Riders: Eragon and Blaster meet and we find out what happened to those stones.
Will try to update weekly. Which is saying something. If not, by-weekly.