Brody's hope vanished with the blinding light. Eyes smarting, Brody looked around and gasped aloud. Though he had been in his yard only seconds ago, he was nowhere near home now. Still slung over Ripcon's shoulder he had a sideways view of a control room of some sort.
A machine ran the length of the wall segmented into four linear parts, stopping at waist height. Dials, buttons and levers punctuated the surface. Cords emanated from the machine connected into a screen half the size of the remaining wall. Four smaller screens flanked the large one, two on each side.
As Brody watched, images of the Nexus Prism flashed on screen while the smaller screens ran a continuous scroll of code. Blue and gray checkered humanoids monitored the panels. One turned and Brody's breath hitched. It had no face, just a smooth metal surface. 'Robots, those are robots!'
Brody craned his head to take in more of his surroundings. Behind the controls a gray and yellow dais lay with a large seat allowing for a less obstructed view of the screens. Large vaulted doors were built into the two walls not occupied with equipment. Harsh blue and white lights alternated down the halls. However, a small porthole window to the side of the dais caught Brody's attention.
Though it shouldn't be possible, the blue and green hues of Earth lay far, far below. Much closer was the cold darkness of space, a never-ending void that Brody could feel swallowing him even as he stared at it. 'This can't be right! This has to be some nightmare!' The ache in his side and heart gave a throbbing contradiction.
"Take him to the prison deck. And make sure he knows his life now belongs to me." Galvanax's hard voice cut a deeper notch into Brody's heart.
"As you say sir!" Ripcon turned, still carrying Brody, and left the room.
Deeper and deeper into the ship he descended. The hallways all looked the same. Even if Brody's view wasn't sideways he knew he would still be utterly lost. Silent minutes dragged by, the monotony broken only by the occasional robot giving Ripcon a wide berth. Eventually Ripcon stopped at a door near a flight of stairs.
"Trust me rat bait, this is something I'll enjoy." He dropped Brody to the floor.
Stunned by the fall, he lay still for several seconds as Ripcon opened up the door. A metallic clinking came from inside. Eyes widening in fear, Brody scooted back as Ripcon stalked towards him with two sets of shackles. Ripcon hauled Brody up by his collar and pinned him with his back against the wall. With a sadistic smile Ripcon fastened them securely around Brody's wrists and ankles. Their weight and awkward angle immediately began to pull at Brody's shoulders.
"Move it slave!"
Easier said than done. The fetters cut his stride in half. Tentatively, Brody approached the stairs. He stepped down only to have his foot catch against the chain. A quick grasp from Ripcon saved him from a nasty fall.
"Can you not even walk right?" Ripcon taunted as he dragged Brody down the steps by his arm. Brody felt heat rise in his face.
Ripcon stopped at the bottom of the steps, jerking Brody to face him. "Your dad was a ninja and you haven't even mastered the basics of walking."
Something in Brody snapped. "Leave him out of this!" He shouted, throwing himself at Ripcon.
Unprepared for the attack, Ripcon stumbled back against the stairs. Losing his balance he landed hard on his backside. His hand remained locked on Brody's arm, pulling Brody down and sideways on the metal steps. Pain shot through Brody's right hip and elbow, but he managed to catch himself before hitting his head. The look of fury on Ripcon's face almost made him wish he had.
"You little...!" Ripcon hauled Brody to his feet and socked him in the gut.
Brody fell to his knees gasping for air. So focused on drawing in oxygen, he failed to see Ripcon's second swing. Stars exploded in his vision and he landed on his back. What little air he'd retained fled his lungs Ripcon's voice swelled above him but the ringing in his ears drowned out the words. Which in hindsight was probably a good thing.
His vision cleared enough to see three robots rushing down the stairs. Two grabbed Ripcon and pulled him back toward the stairs. The third lifted Brody under his arms and dragged him further down the hall. Blurry forms of white doors passed by. Doors with... bars? The synchronized pounding in his head and stomach commanded too much attention to think about the doors' purpose. Brody closed his eyes and tried to fight unconsciousness.
About halfway down the hall the robot stopped in front of a door. Unlocking the door, it pulled Brody inside a little room. It all but let Brody drop to the floor, heedless of his injuries. The dim light bulb sputtered as the door slammed behind him.
It was too much for Brody. He was now alone, in space, in pain and in chains. Tears came fast and hot. 'This has to be some nightmare.' He curled into a fetal position shaking until the pain and exhaustion allowed him to fall into a fitful sleep.
Several flights above the prison hold Ripcon stormed into the control room. Galvanax sat in his chair rewatching the bruising of Ripcon's pride in high definition. A feminine chuckle echoed through the room announcing Odius's presence behind Galvanax.
"What do you want with the boy?" Ripcon spat when Galvanax finally acknowledged his presence.
"Isn't it enough that your leader commands it?" A dangerous note wrapped around Galvanax's words.
Dialing back his anger, Ripcon continued in a more controlled tone, "That child is too small to work the Warrior Dome. Not that we don't have uses for slaves, but that rat bait is too young and scrawny for anything the kudabots can't do."
Galvanax waved away Ripcon's statements. "His father was, apparently, a man of some renown. That and his defiance to do my bidding makes for poetic justice that his son should spend the rest of his life as my slave. Both the boy and the prism show that there is no hope in defying me."
"You may have the Prism, but you still do not hold the Nexus Star." Odius pointed out.
Scoffing, Galvanax reclined in his chair. "With the Prism now in my grasp it is only a matter of time before the power of the Nexus Star is mine."
Odius raised an eyebrow. "You saw that the Nexus Prism didn't even scratch in your attempt to get the Star. What makes you think you'll be able to get it now?"
"Do you doubt my power?"
Exploding out of his chair, Galvanax stalked in front of Odius. Ripcon had a hard time containing his glee that for once Odius experienced the full fury of Galvanax's wrath.
She faced him calmly. "No, I doubt the Prism's weakness. From what we've seen only that human has been able to reach through the Prism to the Star."
"What's your point?"
"My point is you have his son. If the ninja was able to reach into the prism, maybe it would deem the boy worthy too."
Galvanax stilled, Odius's words rolled around in his mind. "I do think you've just shown why I keep you around."
Odius dipped her head. "Thank you, sir." Her short tone belied the sincerity of her words.
"Tomorrow the universe will tremble before me!"
The sky began to tinge pink and gold by the time Aiden crept back home. Having kept to the outskirts of the property for the better part of the day, he'd watched as everything remained silent. 'As silent as a tomb.' Aiden tried to shove that thought away while walking into the barn, but it wouldn't be deterred.
Either the monsters hadn't noticed that Brody shouted another name besides dad, or maybe they hadn't cared. They had gotten what they came for. Well. . . most of it.
In the dim light Aiden found the discarded container of ninja steel. Pieces of metal lay scattered on the ground. He carefully picked them up and held the tin close to his chest. The dying light of the forge reflected in something on the table. The throwing stars Dane made that afternoon sat quietly, waiting for use.
Aiden set the steel down and picked up the molds. The heat was gone leaving a permeating coldness. Carefully breaking them out of the mold as he'd seen Dane do so many times, he took in Dane's creation. 'His last project.' Aiden worked hard to fight his growing nausea. His thoughts cynically understood the fact that Dane and Brody were gone, but his heart still couldn't believe it.
A sharp pain flared in his hand. Drops of crimson blood trickled across the star brought out by his unconsciously tightened grip. Hand shaking Aiden quickly set the star down, thankful Dane hadn't gotten around to sharpening the already fine edges.
He glanced at his palm and instantly regretted it. The sight of his blood, small as it may be, pushed his already nauseated stomach over the edge. Racing to the door he was just able to make it outside before emptying the meager contents of his stomach onto the grass.
Aiden swiped his uninjured hand across his mouth and tried to ignore the acidic taste. Unsteadily he made his way back into the barn and grabbed the tin, carefully placing the three stars on top. He then slowly headed toward the house. Everything just as it had been that morning as if the house was waiting for the three occupants to continue with their daily lives.
'Only it'll never be the same again.' Aiden's stomach twisted. It took several deep breaths to avoid dry heaving. A lone roll of paper towel sat on the counter and Aiden ripped a couple pieces off, pressing them to his cuts.
Trying to ignore the emptiness, Aiden rushed to his room and slammed the door behind him. He stashed the ninja steel under his bed before climbing on it and hugging his pillow to his chest. 'What am I going to do now?' Somehow, exhaustion winning out, sleep finally took him.
Aiden could never get tired of watching Dane work in the forge. The magic of taking a lump of metal and forming it into a masterpiece held him. Dane's latest creations, three shimmering throwing stars made from the ninja steel, sat off to the side to cool in their molds. Hammer in hand Dane walked to the table to fix some nails while they waited on the stars. The pile of nails methodically grew at his side.
Dane paused in his work and wiped sweat from his forehead. Setting down the hammer he took a quick drink of water. As he was about to continue Aiden heard muffled shouting from outside. He ran to a window to see three large, weirdly dressed people surrounding Brody.
"Dad! Look, Brody!" His voice cracked.
Dane took one glance and quickly swept any remaining bits of the ninja steel into a coffee tin.
"Dad, what are we going to do? They have Brody! What do they want? Is he going. . . ?"
"Aiden Levi." Dane's steady voice cut through his questions.
"I don't have time to explain, but I've come across some cryptic information about this crystal and the star. There's a power to it that no one understands. You have to keep this steel hidden!" Dane thrust the tin into Aiden's hands and took him by the shoulders. "Promise me you'll hide it, and you stay hidden too, like a ninja, until I get back." He wrapped his son in a tight embrace. "I love you son."
"I promise. I love you too dad." Aiden's voice was barely above a whisper
"Dad! Aiden!" Brody's terrified shout cut through the walls of the barn.
Grabbing his katana off a nearby shelf, Dane left Aiden with one final glance before the door shut behind him.
Aiden woke up in a cold sweat. The events from the day before replaying in his mind. Not even his dreams allowed him rest. He shook and the darkness of the room squeezed into his mind. To his right the clock read 4:30. Aiden sat up and looked out the window.
Wind rustled through the trees. Creaks and groans shifted through the house. Living in an old farmhouse it wasn't an uncommon occurrence, but tonight each noise was a potential monster coming back for him.
There was no distraction now from his haunting thoughts. 'I don't have a phone, I can't drive, we don't really have any close family or friends... What am I supposed to do now?' Hot tears pricked the corners of his eyes. In all his lessons with Dane they'd never covered what to do in an alien abduction. There was no way the police would believe him. Would they shut him away? Would they blame Dane- or himself- for the disappearances?
'Dad said I had to keep the steel safe. How can I do that? They obviously have tech we don't if they can teleport. What if they have scanners that can find the steel? And then me? Dad said stay hidden. They know this place. They may come back for it someday...' A hard resolve settled in Aiden's mind. 'I have to leave.'