Thirteen Forgotten Worlds (Seam Wardens Book 1) Read online

  After a moment, she noticed she had an audience and stopped firing, staring back at me. The monsters continued to appear and move toward her. Now that she wasn’t firing, they closed the distance. As soon as one touched her, the session shut down and the lights came on.

  I watched, entranced, as she pulled off the goggles and ear protectors. Time seemed to slow down, and it was like watching a cheesy shampoo commercial where they shake their hair in slow motion.

  I felt a hand grab my arm and pull. “There will be plenty of time for that later,” Spencer said. “Let’s get you to the barracks and settled.”

  But I wasn’t going to be deterred that easily. “Who was that?” I asked.

  Tamara smiled. “That was Alexa. She’s one of the other cadets you will be training with.”

  Alexa? That was the name my ten-year-old self had mentioned in the video. The girl I thought was cute. Was this the same one? If it was, she had left cute far behind and graduated to drop-dead-gorgeous.

  But regardless of whether or not it was the same Alexa, I was elated by the news that I was going to be training with her. I wanted to jump up and scream “YES!” but I managed to play it somewhat cool. “Oh,” I said. “Sounds good.”

  Tamara looked at me with an expression that told me I wasn’t fooling her in the slightest. She gave me a knowing smile, shrugged, and continued walking down the hall.

  I risked a quick glance back at Alexa only to find that she was still staring at me. Her goggles had fallen out of her hands and she looked almost as stunned as I had been. I had no idea why.

  It was an all-around awkward situation.

  I quickly turned around and followed Tamara and Spencer to the barracks.

  Fortunately, my earlier fear of bare army barracks with nothing but a bed and a trunk proved to be unfounded. The guys' barracks was a long room roughly twice the width of the hallways connecting ten separate rooms – five on each side. There were several couches, tables with plush, leather-covered chairs surrounding them, and on the far side of the room, an enormous flat screen TV. It was the biggest TV I had ever seen. It had to be well over a hundred inches and dominated the wall it hung on. Seam Wardens and cadets watched TV? Somehow that thought seemed really strange to me.

  Inside each room were a bed, a desk with a chair, and a dresser. Several of the rooms had someone else’s things in them, so I assumed they had already been taken. I selected an empty room toward the front and stepped inside.

  The room had a sliding glass door, but when I closed it, the glass tinted dark enough that you couldn’t see through. It also completely cut off noise from outside. It looked like I wouldn’t have to worry about listening to the other guys snoring or staying up late and making noise.

  I set my bag on top of the bed and looked around. All in all, this was better than I had expected. It wasn't as plush as the room I had in my uncle's house, but then again, what was?

  I opened a sliding door inside the room and saw that it led to a private bathroom. It had a sink and toilet as well as a shower and large jetted tub.

  The door to the outside slid open. “What do you think?” asked Spencer.

  “Not bad,” I said. “I didn’t think I would have this much space or privacy.”

  “They’ve done some upgrading since we were cadets,” Tamara said. “Believe me, it wasn’t always this nice.”

  “Now, you’re sounding like an old lady,” Spencer said. “Back in my day we slept in garbage sacks out in the freezing cold,” Spencer said, imitating an old lady. “We had to walk uphill in the snow both ways just to get to the bathroom.”

  Tamara glared at Spencer and rolled her eyes. “You’re three years older than me, old man.”

  Spencer shrugged. “But I only act a fifth of my age, so it doesn’t count.”

  Tamara looked at me and shook her head. “See what I have to put up with? Hurry up and get your training done so I can request a new partner.”

  “Seriously? I could be your partner?” I felt a sudden surge of excitement.

  “Anything’s possible,” Spencer said. “You’ll get a chance to shadow people in the major groups after your cadet training and see where your interests and aptitudes lie. Tamara and I are part of the First Responders. We’re the ones they send out when a new breach opens. We monitor and assess the situation to determine our best strategic options. Hopefully, you will get assigned to us during your First Responder rotation, but nothing is certain."

  “Once you graduate,” Tamara said, “the committee looks at your training evaluation and assigns you to the first of three rotations.”

  “Assigned?” I said. I didn’t like the sound of that. What if I didn’t want to go where they assigned me? Did I have a choice?

  “Don’t worry,” Tamara said. “The committee does a pretty good job with the assignments. It may not always be what you were expecting, but it will further your education.”

  We talked for a bit more about the options cadets have and the different organizations. Some of them sounded awesome – like the First Responders, Law Enforcement, and Science and Exploration. Others didn’t really sound like something I would be interested in – Administration, Diplomacy, or Monster Containment.

  One of the areas – Special Forces – sounded particularly awesome. They were the muscle that got called in when something really dangerous was happening. But they weren’t part of the rotation program. They only accepted top-caliber wardens and you could only join after working for a few years in another department. Surprisingly, neither Spencer nor Tamara had been interested in joining even though they had both been recruited several times.

  “We prefer to be the first on the scene,” Spencer said. “It’s more exciting not knowing what you’re going to face and having to survive by your wits.”

  We talked for a few more minutes about the virtues of the different groups until it was finally time for them to leave.

  “You have a couple of hours before the official start of cadet training,” Spencer said. “You should use that time to rest and unpack. Believe me, the remainder of this day will be full, so you should get all the rest you can.”

  “But we know you will most likely ignore that advice,” Tamara said. She grinned and winked at me. “So, I just ask that you keep your explorations to the cadet wing, ok? You don’t have the security clearances or access set up to move around. You don’t want to get locked out and be late for your first day. Just make sure you are back in the barracks by 13:00.”

  Tamara and Spencer turned to go. As they reached the door, Tamara turned back around and gave me a wave. She looked like she was going to say something, but then changed her mind and followed Spencer out of the barracks.

  I looked around the empty barracks and back at my still packed suitcase. Spencer was right. It would be a good idea to unpack and get ready.

  But Tamara clearly knew me well – I was going to explore.

  5

  Awkward Reunions

  I headed out of the barracks and back down the hall we had come through. I told myself I was exploring the area, but if I was honest, what I really wanted to do was find Alexa.

  There was something about her that felt familiar, and it was more than just the fact that I had heard my younger self say her name. With her red hair, she did bear a resemblance to my old high school girlfriend, but that wasn't what kept nagging the back of my mind. It was something more than that.

  I wasn’t even sure this was the same girl. There was only one way to find out.

  I breathed a sigh of relief when I saw that she was still in the practice room. I stood outside and watched as she masterfully used her Boom Sticks to destroy hordes of holographic monsters that came at her. She was fast and accurate. It was mesmerizing just to watch her.

  After a few moments, she noticed me. This time she didn’t stop – she grinned and kept going. If anything, she seemed to focus and speed up. She moved with a fluidity and comfort that could only come from hours upon hours of practic
e.

  I was both impressed and intimidated. I didn’t have those hours of practice. How far behind would I be? Would all the other cadets have spent their lives practicing with the weapons and training to be Seam Wardens? Given the military feel of this place, I had a hard time believing that any of them could have made it to eighteen and not have trained for hundreds or even thousands of hours already. How could I possibly hope to keep up?

  The lights in the practice room briefly changed to red and then back to normal. The creatures started to move forward with even greater speed and in greater numbers. Alexa stopped hitting the sticks together to send out compression waves and started using them as two separate batons to strike the targets with an electric charge as they approached.

  She twisted and twirled as she slashed and struck the targets. Surprisingly, her Boom Sticks didn’t just pass through them. The targets appeared to be holograms made of light, but when she hit a target, her stick looked as if it struck a solid object.

  That was impressive.

  Alexa worked her way through the targets, narrowly avoiding slashing claws and snapping teeth. With each strike, she moved closer to the far wall. With a final lunge, she leaped over a monster that dove at her and hit a circular spot on the wall with her boom stick.

  The holograms instantly disappeared and the lights came back on.

  Alexa wiped the sweat from her face with her sleeve and hunched over for a minute catching her breath. She then stood up straight and walked toward the door.

  That feeling of familiarity once again hit me as she opened the door and stepped into the corridor. She was even more beautiful up close than she had been from a distance. Yes, she was sweaty and strands of her hair had pulled out of her ponytail, but something about it seemed natural to her – like she was meant to be this way.

  “That was amazing,” I said. “You were really amazing. I couldn’t believe how many monsters you took out. Amazing!”

  Seriously? That’s what I said to impress her? How many times could a person use the word “amazing” in a three second period? The words had just tumbled out much too fast and awkwardly. You would think I had never talked to a girl before. I wanted to melt into the floor and disappear.

  She smiled shyly and pushed back a stray strand of hair. “Thanks,” she said. Her voice was soft and gentle. It somehow set me at ease.

  I took a deep breath and decided to try and start over.

  “Sorry about that,” I said. “My name is Pierce. I’m new here.”

  For just a moment there was a brief look of disappointment on her face. Had I said something wrong? Before I could say anything it was replaced by a smile.

  “I know,” she said. “Pierce Davis.”

  My pulse quickened. She knew who I was. Maybe this was actually her. But how on earth would she remember me after eight years of no contact or communication? That took me by surprise.

  “And you’re Alexa,” I said.

  Now it was her turn to look surprised. “You remember me?”

  I shrugged. “Well, from just a few minutes ago when Tamara and Spencer brought me by. Tamara told me your name.”

  That seemed to disappoint her. “Oh,” she said. “Well, I suppose it’s only natural that you wouldn’t remember me.”

  “Did we know each other?” I asked

  She nodded. “You and I hung out when you stayed here.”

  This had to be her. “We did, huh? How well did we know each other?”

  Alexa shrugged. “It was eight years ago and we were kids. But we knew each other pretty well. You told me all about Voltron and Pokémon and we played together for hours at a time. We were both so excited to be Seam Wardens, and we snuck into the practice rooms whenever we could.”

  Wow, I had a history with this girl. And it even sounded like it was positive. "I wish I could remember that," I said. "It sounds like we had fun together." There was an awkward pause. “Tamara said that the longer I’m here, the more my memory will come back,” I said. “So while I don’t remember you now, I might remember you tomorrow.”

  “Now that I think about it,” Alexa said, “maybe it’s better that you don’t remember ten-year-old me. I was a pretty awkward kid.”

  I rolled my eyes.

  "Seriously," she said. "It was bad." Then with an obvious effort to change the subject, she said, "Do you remember how to use Boom Sticks?”

  “Sort of,” I said. “Spencer let me use his for a few minutes. It felt familiar, but I’ll need a lot of practice to ever get as good as you.”

  Alexa blushed. “I’m still learning myself.” She gestured to the practice room. “Do you want to give it a go?”

  I couldn’t stop the huge grin that spread across my face. “You have no idea how much.”

  “I bet I do,” she said and laughed. “You used to love this more than anything.”

  We stepped into the practice room and Alexa pulled out a second set of Boom Sticks and handed them to me.

  “These are practice ones. They don’t actually work, but they’re programmed to function on the holographic targets. The sonic booms will push the targets back, and when you strike a target with a stick, you will meet resistance, just as you would with a live target. As far as you will be able to tell they are real and working perfectly. We just won’t destroy the room as we practice.”

  I hefted the Boom Sticks in my hands. They felt good – comforting. “Let’s do this,” I said.

  Alexa touched some buttons on a control panel and the lights in the room dimmed. Three holographic monsters appeared on the far side of the room. Two ran straight for us and the third jumped onto the wall and began running perpendicular to the ground.

  Before I could fire off my first shot, Alexa had hit one of the two monsters coming at us and a third one running along the wall. I managed to hit my target, but it was only a glancing blow and it continued to come toward us.

  Alexa took it out just before it reached me.

  I was both grateful and embarrassed. I didn’t like to lose at anything. I would need to step up my game.

  The next wave was also three monsters. Alexa took out two and I took out one. At least on this round, she didn't have to save me. Thank goodness for small miracles. It left me with a tiny shred of dignity.

  The third wave jumped up to five monsters, but they were larger and slower. I managed to take out two while Alexa hit the other three.

  We continued this way for several minutes. After a while, I started to get the hang of it. While I didn't have a conscious recollection of ever using these weapons before, the muscle memory was clearly still there. My aim got better and the speed of my shots increased. Soon I was at least keeping up with Alexa.

  The numbers kept increasing every time we destroyed a wave. It wasn't long before I completely lost track of the number of holographic monsters I had taken out. All I had time to do was react to what was around me. In the beginning, I had enough time to think and aim. Now I was in pure survival mode, reacting instinctively to the targets coming at me.

  And I loved every minute of it.

  The lights briefly turned red and there was a pause in the onslaught of monsters.

  “Close quarters combat time,” Alexa said. She was panting and appeared to be somewhat winded. I still felt pretty good, but I also wasn’t doing this for the second or more likely fifth time in a row. “Hit as many as you can with your sticks without letting them score a hit on you. We have to make it to the far wall and touch the target.” She pointed at a small square on the far wall.

  The monsters came at us and we swung our Boom Sticks at them, twisting and diving to keep from being slashed by claws or bitten by huge fangs.

  With each monster taken out, Alexa made her way closer to the far wall. I, however, was lucky just to survive. I may have been able to keep up with Alexa on the target practice portion, but she clearly outclassed me on the close-quarters combat.

  I had only made it halfway across the room when I made a mistake and got tw
isted up. I couldn’t bring my Boom Sticks up in time to block as a huge, taloned hand swiped through me. I felt nothing, but my Boom Sticks stopped functioning and the creatures turned away from me as if I were no longer there.

  I was out of the game.

  Alexa took out two more of the creatures and spun out of the way of a third. She ended up right by the sensor and struck it with her Boom Sticks, ending the session. The holographic monsters disappeared and the lights returned to their original brightness.

  “Not bad for someone who grew up as a blank,” Alexa said.

  “A what?” I asked.

  Alexa blushed. “That’s what we call people who can’t remember the monsters from the Seams. You know, draw a blank. I’m technically not supposed to use that name anymore, but old habits die hard.”

  “That makes sense. Why aren’t you supposed to use that name?” I asked.

  “My mom thinks it’s kind of derogatory and makes the Seam Wardens think of ourselves as better than everyone else.”

  “What name does she want you to use?”

  Alexa grabbed a towel from her gym bag and wiped the sweat off her face. “Persons of standard cognition.”

  I choked back a laugh. “No way,” I said. “You just made that up!”

  Alexa shrugged. “I really wish that were the case, but sadly, no. That term was created by a committee that took three years to agree on it.”

  I couldn’t hold it in any longer — I burst out laughing.

  A small smile turned into a big grin as Alexa started laughing herself. “It’s awful, isn’t it? Hardly anyone uses it. Most people just call them normals and leave it at that."

  After a few moments, our laughter subsided. Alexa stuffed the towel back into her gym bag and hefted it over her shoulder. "Well, I better get cleaned up before training starts," she said with an apologetic smile. "I don't want to be late."

  “Sounds good,” I said. “I guess I’ll see you in training?”

  "Oh yeah," Alexa said. "For the next six months, you won't be able to get away from me."