Max Baker: Guardian of the Ninth Sector (17 page)

Max had asked his two friends to step outside and wait for him.  He sat on the steel table, alone in the room.  He brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them.  He could feel the energy inside of him surge as he compacted his body.

Max thought about his mother.  He thought about how soon she would be getting off from work and pouring herself a drink.  She would check Max’s room and notice he wasn’t there.  Instead of being worried or concerned, she would assume that he was off somewhere with Noah.  She would resign herself to the comforts of the leather recliner and drink away the night.  Millions of light years away, sitting alone on the operating table, minutes after being killed and then brought back to life – Max was happy that he was here.

Max pulled on his t-shirt and exited out into the hallway where Noah and Kennedy were sitting on the floor waiting for him.

“You okay?” Kennedy asked, extending her arms out to be pulled up.

“Never better,” Max said, helping her to her feet.  When she stood up, the two of them were merely inches away from each other.  They lingered like this for a long moment.  Max felt as if his heart was telling him to kiss her.  As he looked down at her, he felt that she wanted him to as well.  He felt that she was longing for it just as much as he was, but he couldn’t make his brain follow what his heart was pleading for him to do.

“Are you two going to make out or something?” Noah asked, interrupting the moment.

“Absolutely not,” Kennedy said, pushing past Max.  “I have a boyfriend, and I’m still not sure that I’ve forgiven either of you.”  She walked across the hallway and entered the doorway.

“Forgiven us?” Max called after her, but she had pulled the door shut behind her. 

“Did you expect anything different?” Noah asked him.

“I’ve never met someone so…pretentious,” Max said.  “If anyone needs forgiving, it’s her.”

“Yep,” Noah said quietly.

“I mean it was her decision not to be friends anymore, not the other way around,” Max said.  He watched as Noah stared down the hallway and felt as if he was purposely avoiding eye contact with him.  Noah had never been one to bite his tongue about anything, especially his disdain for Kennedy Coleman. 

“She’s got some nerve, doesn’t she?” Max asked him, watching for some sort of reaction.  Noah continued to stare in the opposite direction.  Max wanted to spin him around so he could see his face.

We kind of deserve it
, Noah said, finally breaking his silence. 
Well, I do at least
.

“What is that supposed to mean?” Max asked.

“What is what supposed to mean?” Noah said, turning toward him.

“What you just said.”  Max watched Noah’s face twist in confusion, “About us deserving it.”

“I didn’t say that,” Noah said, taking a step backwards.  His face turned beet red.

“Um…yeah you did,” Max said.  “You just said that we kind of deserve it, and then changed it to
you
kind of deserve it.”

Noah’s jaw fell wide open.

“What?” Max asked.

“Max, I didn’t say those things,” Noah said.

“Bull-” Max began, but was quickly interrupted.

“Max, I was thinking that,” Noah said.

Max watched him shift his weight from one leg to another.  Noah looked uncomfortable…no, he felt uncomfortable.  Max could feel how Noah felt.

“Did you just read my mind?” Noah asked.

“I…I don’t,” Max tried to string a sentence together, but couldn’t.

“Are you reading my mind right now?” Noah asked.  Max concentrated and could sense that Noah was hiding something again.  Noah took another step back, holding his palms up.  Max took a step toward him. Even though Noah never moved his lips, Max could hear his voice say,
Please don’t know that I think your mom is super hot
.

“You think my mom is super hot?” Max asked, more bemused than angry.

“Whoa!  Max, stop reading my mind.  That is not cool!”

“Well it certainly isn’t cool that you think my mother is super hot,” Max said. 

Max heard Noah’s voice in his brain again,
Evelyn is smoking hot, and if I had the chance I would totally-

“Noah!” Max yelled at him.  “Stop thinking about my mom!”

“Get out of my brain!” Noah yelled back, covering his ears with his hands as if to shield Max from invading his thoughts.

Kennedy poked her head into the hallway.  She looked at Max and then at Noah, who was still covering his head.

“What’s going on out here?” Kennedy asked.

“Max can read our minds,” Noah said frantically.

Kennedy squinted at Max.  He felt as if she were daring him to read his mind.  He could feel her taunting him.  Max stared back at her and began to focus his energy on her.  Suddenly her voice ran through his brain,
Don’t even think about it, Max Baker!

“I wouldn’t dream of it,” Max said and smiled.

Kennedy’s eyes grew larger than Noah’s. She quickly disappeared behind the door.  Max turned his attention back to Noah, who still stood with his hands covering his ears.

“We need to set some ground rules,” Noah said, walking toward the door.

“Yeah, we do,” Max called after him.  “Rule number one: best friends don’t think about the other one’s mother.”  Max followed Noah through the doorway.

Max entered into the room to find that it was much larger than the operating room.  It was mostly empty with the exception of two large tables that looked cluttered with junk and a large wooden climbing wall that stood in the center of the room.  Donovan stood near the tables, his clipboard folded over his chest, while Kennedy spoke to him.  She motioned wildly with her hands, and Donovan looked up and over to Max.  He immediately crossed the room to where Max stood.

“Is it true Max?” Donovan said.  “Are you telepathic?”

Max wanted to retreat back to the operating room.  He wanted to run down the hallway and find the gateway back to Earth.  He felt like a freak.  If being a teenager wasn’t bad enough, now he had to deal with having supernatural powers.

You are not a freak,
Donovan’s voice came humming through Max’s brain.

“You can read minds too?” Max asked him, feeling slightly relieved.

“Telepathy,” Donovan began, “is a more advanced skill that normally takes many years of practice, Max.  While I did expect you to possess the ability, I did not expect you to harness it for quite some time.”

“Well he can harness it pretty well,” Noah butted in.

“Don’t even start you pervert,” Max said.

“Look, I’m sorry that I find your mom attractive,” Noah said.

“That’s so inappropriate,” Kennedy chimed in.

“But we’re going to have to set some boundaries,” Noah continued.  “You can’t just go around reading our minds.”

“It
is
very invasive,” Kennedy agreed.

“Fine,” Max said, “I don’t want to know what you two are thinking about anyways.”

Awkward silence filled the air as the three teenagers stared at the ground.  Donovan was scribbling furiously on the clipboard.

“Max, have you noticed any other oddities?” Donovan asked.

“No,” Max answered as he watched Noah head toward the table.

“How does your head feel?” Donovan asked.

“Fine, I guess.”   

“Hey,” Noah said, picking up an object from the table.  “What’s with all this junk, Reese?”  It was a snow globe. 

Max moved closer to Noah to get a better look.  The orb looked just like something you would pick up at the gift shop of an airport; however the inside of the globe was nothing more than a mountain of dirt.  Words extended around the base of the globe that read:

Delta 11

May All Your Dreams Come True

“What is Delta 11?” Noah asked.

“This junk is for training,” Donovan answered, “and Delta 11 is one of the planets that make up the Ninth Sector.  It’s more commonly known as the underground planet.  The atmosphere of Delta 11 is the only planet in our sector that isn’t oxygen based.  However, upon further exploration of the planet, numerous cave systems were found and intelligent life actually lived underground.”

“They have cat people,” Max blurted out.

“Yes,” Donovan said.  “Their people do resemble Earth’s feline organisms.”

“Awesome,” Noah said.

Donovan took the snow globe from Noah’s hand and moved across the room with it, away from the boys.  After he was about 20 feet away, Donovan turned toward them. 

“So what happens now?” Max asked.

Donovan whipped the snow globe at Max, who instinctively threw his hand up to catch it.  A narrow beam of blue light fired from the palm of his hand.  The beam of energy hit the snow globe, causing it to explode in midair.

Noah’s jaw fell open, “Holy sh-”

“Now,” Donovan interrupted, “we train.”

* * *

“Now that your brain has been rewired,” Donovan spoke to Max, “you have access to certain cognitive functions that you were previously unable to utilize.  You will able to harness the energy, or lifeforce, that flows through your body.  You will be able to manipulate this energy.  You will be able to harness it to attack an opponent like you did with the snow globe.  You will be able to use it to move yourself through space just by thinking of a destination in your mind.  You will be able to use it to move objects and things without touching them.”

“So, you really are a superhero now?” Noah asked Max.

Max shrugged.  He didn’t know what he was, but he was starting to think that maybe having special powers wasn’t such a bad thing.  High school was difficult; perhaps the ability to read his history teacher’s mind during a midterm wouldn’t be the most horrible thing in the world.

“I would like you to transport yourself to the other side of this wall,” Donovan directed.

Kennedy and Noah slowly backed away from Max.

“How?” Max asked.

“First, close your eyes,” Donovan said.  Max squinted his eyelids together as tight as he could.

“Check.”

“Next,” Donovan said, “I want you to focus on your breathing and clear your mind of all other things.”  Max took a deep breath in and tried to think about nothing.  He let the breath out and sucked another one in.  Everything was quiet and dark.  He could feel his lifeforce humming through his body like an unbridled current ready to be unleashed.  He let the breath out.

“Now,” Donovan said quietly, “I want you to picture yourself on the other side of the wall.” 

“That’s it?” Max asked.

“That’s it,” Donovan answered.

Max concentrated on seeing himself on the other side of the wall.  He pictured himself standing there.  The electricity that was surging throughout his body seemed to amplify.  Max opened his eyes to find himself standing in the same spot.  Nothing had happened.

“What did I do wrong?” Max asked.

“I’m not sure,” Donovan said.  “I believe I recounted
all
of the steps to perform a successful teleportation.”  He grabbed a notebook off the table and began flipping through the pages.

“What do you mean?” Max asked.  “Can’t you teleport?”

“I’m afraid not,” Donovan said without looking up from his notes.  An Armeddian typically only possesses a single super ability.  I am able to harness my lifeforce, and I am able to do that well.  Others can teleport or move objects with their minds.  On the rarest occasions, an Armeddian will have a secondary ability.”

“So why do you think that I can teleport then?” Max asked.  “I can already harness my lifeforce.  Shouldn’t that be it?”

Donovan looked up from his notes. “Oh, but you are quite special.  Your preliminary results from the reneurolizer are off the charts.  And there are other…variables to consider.”

“Such as?”

“You’re the Guardian,” Noah answered him.

“Mr. Allman is correct.  Not only should you possess multiple super-abilities, but you should perform them to the highest degree.”

“Then why didn’t I teleport?”

“Well it looks like we have some work to do,” Donovan said, “try again.”

Max tried for the next half hour, but was never able to move even an inch from where he was standing.  Noah and Kennedy had taken a seat in the corner of the room and watched each one of Max’s failures.  He grew more frustrated with each attempt.

“You need to clear your mind,” Donovan commanded.

“That’s what I’m doing,” Max said angrily.

Max closed his eyes once more and focused on his breathing.  He thought about standing on the other side of the wall.  He cleared his mind.  He felt the electricity begin to radiate off of him and then…

Suddenly the door burst open.  Max opened his eyes in time to see Melotta burst through door; a frightened look blanketed her face.

“Donovan,” she whispered into the room, “I need to speak with you, please.”

“Excuse me, Max,” Donovan said and headed over to her.

Max focused all of his energy on the two as they whispered to each other in the corner.

“The Council has requested that the time of the demonstration be moved,”
Melotta’s words were loud and clear.

“To when?”
Donovan asked.

“Now,” Melotta said.

“What do you think they’re talking about?” Kennedy asked.  They had gotten up from their seats and joined Max in the center of the room.  Max shushed her.

“That is not possible.” Donovan angrily hissed at her. “The conversion process was only completed an hour ago.   Max hasn’t had an opportunity to adjust to his new abilities yet.”

“Elder Baxter and Elder Darthoor convinced the Council that if Max truly is the Guardian,” Melotta said, looking in Max’s direction, “instinctually, he should be able to take on a death demon with no training or guidance.”

“A death demon!”

“Donovan, you know that these are not my wishes.”

“Can you buy us half an hour?” Donovan pleaded with her.

“I am afraid not,” Melotta said.  “My instructions are to take Max immediately to the arena.”

Donovan quickly turned and walked over to Max.  He put his hands on Max’s shoulders; all of the color had drained from his face.

“Did you hear our conversation?” Donovan asked.

“Yes,” Max answered truthfully. 

“Good,” Donovan said. “Listen very carefully.  You will be facing a death demon.”  Donovan’s face was growing paler with every second that passed, and a sickening knot began to form in Max’s stomach.  “The death demon is a giant demon from the planet of Harowadur.  Its entire head and body is armored, but it is extremely vulnerable-”

“Mr. Reese,” Melotta interrupted him.  “The Council’s orders were very clear, and we must leave immediately or they will consider the test results null and void.”

“Max,” Donovan said, “you can do this.  I am truly sorry that the Council has put you in this sort of situation, but you possess an energy inside of you that could bring down an entire army of death demons.”  Donovan squeezed Max’s shoulders tighter.  “I have all the faith in the world that you can do this, but you have to believe in yourself.” 

Donovan looked deep into his eyes, and Max got the feeling that Donovan was trying to tell him something.  Max concentrated for a moment before Donovan’s voice flooded into his brain,
Can you hear me, Max?

Yes,
Max answered in his head.

The death demon is large and extremely quick and agile,
Donovan said without moving his lips,
but it is also stupid and relies solely on its predatory instincts to defeat its prey.
 
To defeat the creature you will need to rely not only on these new abilities that you have acquired, but you will also need to outthink the creature.  Follow your instincts.

Donovan, where is the creature vulnerable?

Melotta made her way over to them without Max noticing, “I’m sorry, but we have to go.  And, Mr. Reese, as much as I will be cheering for Max on the battlefield today, I must strongly encourage you not to answer that question.  I have pledged a sacred oath to the Council and will report of any indiscretions if they occur.”

As soon as she said the words, Max knew that she had been listening to their conversation.  Donovan’s inner voice had gone quiet, but he opened his eyes wide as if he still had something to say.  Max tried to tap into his thoughts again, but he wasn’t speaking.