CHAPTER SIXTEEN: THE COSMIC SECRET
Four Months Later…
Taking Cinema on a trip through the world of the 1990s was like watching a kid in a candy shop. She got to experience a world she had only read about in books. The future had its merits, but it was the product of a harsh reality that had forgotten the prosperity of this point in time. Shortly before we needed to be in Perth, I wanted to make one last stop.
“I’ve got one last thing I’d like to do before we go to Perth, Cinema,” I shouted to her as we were cruising across the plains of North America.
“What’s that?”
“I want you to meet some of my friends.”
In my mind’s eye, I visualized the old music shop in Reno and the carpet zipped us away to that location. In broad daylight, we stopped just outside the shop’s window. Inside was Steve, the man who instructed me on bass back in the day. He was now the store manager. A small crowd started to gather around and gawked at the sight of us floating on the carpet outside. Steve and some of his employees came outside to see the commotion.
“Hey, Steve, remember me?” I shouted as he emerged from the shop.
“What the hell is going on?” he remarked, “Oh, yeah, I remember you. One week to learn bass guy. But how is this even possible?!”
“It’s magic, hard to explain. Hey listen, I was wondering, do you happen to know where I can find any of the guys that used to play in the local band Modicum?”
“Oh, Jimmy and his crew? Yeah, last I heard, he and Dylan were in a new band. I think
Chris is part of their roadcrew too now that I think of it.”
“You know what the band is called?” I asked.
“Reprimand. In fact, they’re playing a small festival in Fort Worth this weekend.”
“Thanks, Steve,” I said, before noticing someone with a disposable camera started snapping pictures of us atop the carpet.
I sprang off the rug and landed on the street in front of them. Then I sent a well-placed spin kick to the side of the camera, eviscerating it before returning to Cinema’s side. The two of us then took off as quickly as we arrived.
I guided the rug with my mind to Fort Worth, Texas and from above we found an outdoor concert going on in a park. We could hear the band playing, and right away I identified it as a cover version of one of Modicum’s songs. As we cruised over the crowd, we lowered ourselves to about thirty feet overhead. People started to take notice as we descended. Then the music stopped.
We dropped ten more feet and were almost level with the stage. Up ahead, I saw the band. It was Dylan and Jimmy! They were in a five-piece band with three guys I’d never seen before. The audience was murmuring, and no one knew what to make of us, but my focus was on my friends.
“Hey! Jimmy!” I shouted, as we approached the stage.
We stopped and hovered just an arms reach away. The guys walked to the edge of the stage as the crowd started to quiet down. From backstage, the crew members started to emerge, and I saw Chris, along with Zack among them.
“Yo, what’s up guys? Heard you got a new band together.”
I extended my hand out over the edge of the carpet to shake with Dylan and Jimmy. They reciprocated but were confused all at the same time.
“I want you to meet someone. This is my girlfriend, Cinema.”
“The future chick you told us about?” Jimmy asked rhetorically.
“Yeah, this is her.”
Cinema reached out and shook their hands as well. Chris and Zack were now standing on the edge of the stage with the others.
“Pleased to meetchya’ll,” Cinema said, in that infamous Appalachian accent I’d told them about.
“Whoa! Guy wasn’t bullshitting us?” Dylan remarked, “He’s a real fuckin time traveler?” “That seems to be the case, man,” Zack added.
“Now why would I have lied about that?” I noted, “Sorry guys, I wish I’d come soon enough to have watched your set, but we gotta get going. I’ve got something I gotta do that might get me killed again.”
“No problem, Guy,” said Chris, “Fly in anytime, I guess.”
“Later everybody!” I said, as we waved them goodbye and flew away.
I was sure someone got pictures or video of us there. But it was worth the price to see those guys again. I knew I may not have the luxury of a visit like this after the tournament. But nonetheless, it was time to go.
After more than two years of preparation and an extended season to spend with Cinema around the globe in my own timeline, the day had finally come to arrive at Perth Airport and formally accept my invitation to this mysterious tournament. We got off the magic carpet just outside the terminal. Even though we weren’t exactly discreet, no one was close enough to notice. I reached into my bag to look one final time at the letter that was handed to me in Tel Aviv nearly three years ago.
April 23rd, 1999 was the date I was given. Nothing more could be done than simply walking into the airport and seeing if anything happened. So far, everything looked the same as when I visited here before via time travel. Right before we entered the building, a taxi pulled up and Li got out.
“Hey, Guy!” He yelled, “Good to see ya! Glad you made it.”
“Li, I could say the same thing!” I replied, “I want you to meet someone. This is Cinema.”
I gestured her to him and allowed the two most important people from my journey thus far to finally meet.
“Hello, I’ve heard a lot about you,” Li said, admirably.
“Hopefully all good things,” she responded, “I’ve also heard a lot about you, Master
Chen.”
“Ah, you can drop the Master thing. Just call me Li…he does,” Li pointed out.
“So,” I interjected, “should we go in?”
They both agreed and we went into the airport and started looking around to see what we would discover. Not long after making our way inside, a woman with long dark hair and dressed as a stewardess approached us. I had not seen this woman when I visited before.
“Mr. Guy?” she asked.
“Yes, that’s me.”
“So nice to see you here. Mr. Stargazer will be delighted to see you’ve accepted his invitation to compete in the tournament,” she said with a big smile.
“So where are we going?” I asked her.
“We are taking a chartered flight to Mr. Stargazer’s island, just southwest of here in the
Indian Ocean. Are these your two chosen guests?”
“That’s right,” I said, still unsure if it was even safe to go.
“One guest,” Li said, abruptly.
We turned and faced him as he reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out an identical letter to the one I received.
“Li, how come you never told me?” I asked him with surprise.
“I was just so surprised when you came and showed me yours. I didn’t know what to say when you asked me for additional training. I knew you would get more out of it if you didn’t realize we’d both be competing at the tournament.”
“You must be Mr. Chen,” the woman noted, “you were scheduled to be on a different charter, though I see nothing wrong with you riding along with Mr. Guy and his guest.”
None of us objected and we followed the woman to a terminal where a small plane was awaiting us. We were shown on board and treated very well. Luxurious food and drink were provided, and it was a very pleasant flight to one of the most beautiful islands I had ever seen in all my travels, past, present, or future.
When the plane landed on the runway on the beach, the woman got up from her seat and showed us to the door saying, “Welcome to Karpen Island!”
This struck me as very odd. Karpen was the name of the area near where I had hidden the Sequence Bracer before my fight with Percival. I made the connection right away and whispered it to Li. A strange coincidence to be sure. I didn’t bother telling Cinema. She seemed too excited. Most places like this had been destroyed in the future. But to be fair, she was in love with anything in the 20th century.
After disembarking, a black Hummer arrived to take us further into the island where we would be staying. We arrived at the gate of a very large mansion with several other vehicles already in the drive. The driver told us we would be taken in and shown to our rooms, after which we would be able to meet with Mr. Stargazer individually and learn more details about the tournament and why we were chosen to be there.
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The mansion was huge, almost like a hotel. We were taken to the second floor and given rooms near each other. On the way up, we caught a glimpse of some of the other fighters. There was a wide variety of individuals around the globe. But it was on our way to our meeting with Mr. Stargazer that I happened upon something truly disturbing.
Three individuals, walking down the hall, stuck out like sore thumbs. An older gentleman, a younger slim gentleman, and a huge, muscular man between them. The three men were dressed in uniforms reminiscent of Nazi Germany. That’s when it struck me. The large man was the one I saw that day in Antarctica when I was shot out of the sky. And the older man was the one barking orders in German.
When the three of us made contact with the three of them, we moved to allow them to pass unobstructed. The older man scoffed in Li’s direction and then turned towards Cinema and said, “Err! Impure blooded mongrel!” Then stomped off with the others behind him.
“Uhh, wow,” Li said, “this place just got a lot more interesting.”
Without further interruption we made our way to Mr. Stargazer’s office. Two guards outside of his door allowed us in. Mr. Stargazer was meeting with a half dozen other well-dressed people and he himself was in a business casual suit. He had short brown hair and appeared to be in his mid-thirties. Laughter was carrying on when we entered but stopped once we were noticed.
“Oh, gentleman, come in…and lady,” Stargazer said, as he walked around from behind his desk to greet us. The other guests in the room sipped drinks and smiled.
“You must be Guy,” he said while shaking my hand, “wonderful to have you here. I know it hasn’t been easy, but I bet it’s been fun right?”
Before I could respond, he turned his attention to Li and said, “And Mr. Chen, glad to see you decided to come as well. I wasn’t sure if you would once you found out I also sent an invitation to Guy.”
Li started to comment while Stargazer shook his hand rapidly, but he then turned his attention to Cinema and said, “And you must be Cinema! My gosh, you’re just as beautiful as I imagined you. Thanks for coming along.”
Finally, I interrupted and said, “Excuse me, but how do you know so much about us?”
Stargazer chuckled and so did his guests, then replied, “Oh I have my sources. I can’t give all my secrets away. But if you win the tournament, I’m sure you’ll understand a lot better.”
The three of us just stood there confused, but Stargazer continued on, “I hope you find my island and your accommodations acceptable. You’ve got plenty of time to rest and relax before the tournament begins tomorrow. I just ask that you stay inside until then. A tropical storm is supposed to hit tonight. But not to worry, it’s quite safe in here. The arena is just a short shuttle ride from the house, and we’ll all go there tomorrow, along with the spectators.”
“And who are the spectators for this thing?” I asked.
“Well, truth be told, I don’t fully know,” he said, “I just put the word on the grapevine to the secret societies and a bunch of people reserved a seat. A lot of rich elites like to bet on things like this. And I marketed this as the fight of all fights, so I’m sure they’re expecting a good show and preparing to put good money on you and the other fighters.”
“About the other fighters,” Li asked, “where are they all coming from? It was quite the assortment we saw out there. Nazis?”
“Oh! So, I see you ran into Volmar. Don’t worry, you are quite safe from him. At least until the tournament starts. However, there is a strict no killing rule in place. Immediate disqualification. So don’t worry there.”
“Okay, but where did he come from?” Li added, not realizing it was the same man I had seen before, “not a lot of Nazi’s casually walking around.”
“Well,” Stargazer replied, “that’s because you probably don’t make your way down to Antarctica much. Volmar was born into the SS Pureblood breeding program that the Third Reich moved to the South Pole just before World War Two ended. They don’t take too kindly to outsiders visiting and the governments of the world would prefer people not provoke them either. But Volmar is a fine specimen of genetics. I knew I had to invite him to the tournament when I found out about him. Not a fighter to be easily reckoned with, wouldn’t you agree, Guy?”
He turned his attention to me and implied with the inflection in his voice that he knew it wasn’t my first time seeing Volmar.
I changed the subject quickly, “So what is this supposed secret prize if we win anyway?”
Stargazer laughed and said, “If I told you, it wouldn’t be a secret now, would it? But who are you kidding? You’re no longer concerned with what the prize is, just that you want to win it. You wouldn’t have trained and prepared yourself for this competition if you had any inclination to leave here due to not knowing the fruits of victory.”
He had a point. Li and I were here because of destiny. It was the natural objective for people like us to attempt.
Stargazer continued, “My suggestion is, you relax and enjoy the fine comforts of my estate this evening. Tomorrow you can worry about the fights. Now go…mingle with the other guests.”
Without further ado, our little group dispersed from the office and Stargazer went on socializing with his guests. The three of us made our way downstairs just as the storm started to roll in and rain pecked at the tall windows of the mansion. Downstairs was a cozy abode. A large entertainment parlor with a self-playing piano and light accompaniment music playing. The room was filled with the other fighters, their guests, and several guests and staff of Mr. Stargazer. There was food and drink available. It would be quite easy for someone to become accustomed to the lavish treatment of this island and its host.
Li said he was going to mingle amongst the fighters on his own to get a feel for them and suggested I did the same. I agreed and made my way across the room with Cinema, separate from Li.
“Why don’t you sit down, and I’ll grab us some Ginger Ale?” I asked Cinema.
“Sure,” she replied, understanding that I wanted to focus on reading the room a bit.
I made my way over to the drink table, where a staff member was pouring glasses. When I approached the table, I found myself next to a lanky young woman that appeared to be of black and white mixed ethnicity. She was dressed normally, with a white long sleeve shirt, light blue denim capris pants, and a yellow bucket hat on.
I decided to make a quick conversation, “Interesting party?” I said.
She rolled her eyes and took a drink from her glass. I was interested in what role she had in all of this, so I pestered on.
“Tough looking crowd here, huh? You don’t seem to fit in here at all.” “Ah, what’s it to ya?” she scoffed, with a very thick accent.
“I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it that way,” I said, as I extended my hand to her, “My name’s Guy. And you are?”
She looked at my hand, then back to me before saying, “The winner of this fuckin tourny,” then she downed her drink and stuck the empty glass in my hand before walking away.
The staff member pouring the drinks snickered a little. I turned to him and gave the empty glass back and asked, “What the hell did I do?”
The staffer replied, “I’m guessing you don’t know her, but that’s Annika, the South
African Street Fighting Champion.”
“There’s a South African Women's Street Fighting league?” I asked
“No, she won the men’s league,” he replied, “and she’s not exactly known for her people skills. Rumor is she had an extremely hard life growing up and it’s only been since she started winning fights that she’s had any kind of life at all. No surprise at all she accepted Mr.
Stargazer’s invitation.”
“Say, buddy. What can you tell me about Mr. Stargazer,” I asked the staffer.
“Oh, I can’t tell you much. Just that he’s a very generous man and aims to please his guests.”
I found it very interesting that Stargazer’s employee was able to tell me more about the South African girl than he was about his boss. I gathered my drinks and returned to sit with Cinema.
“So how are you feeling about all this?” she asked me.
“I don’t know. It’s nice here and I’m just as excited about the tournament as I was about any other leg of my journey. But something just doesn’t sit right with me about all this. I mean, who the hell are all these people? How come I couldn’t find anyone at the airport when I used the Sequencer to jump there? What’s with all these little coincidences? And how the hell could
Stargazer know I’ve seen Volmar before?”
“Guy, it’s probably like Tet told you. Your use of that time reversal gel must’ve thrown off your timeline and created some new unforeseen outcome. You know there are mysteries of the universe that even you won’t be able to solve, right?”
Cinema was right. But I just couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. Just then, there was a flash of lightning outside and when everyone looked up, the three Nazi’s were standing there. The older one that appeared to be the leader scoffed and then proceeded to lead the others to the refreshments. No one in the party approached or attempted to speak with them. Rightfully so it would seem.
A while later, Li came back to us and said, “Good news. It looks like a lot of these guys are just run of the mill tough guys. Most of the ones I’ve talked to don’t seem to be Chi users or at best have a basic grasp of it. The one thing that is a constant, no matter who I talk to, is that they’ve all had some kind of supernatural experience happen to them. So that tells me that Stargazer somehow has a way of tracking down people with potential. Not much different than when I ran across you in the alley years ago. Except that had some luck in it and wasn’t intentional. I’m pretty sure this guy is more focused. So what did you find out?”
“Eh, not much,” I answered, “just that girls from every culture can be mean.”
“What?!” Li barked in confusion.
“He just had a little run in with that female fighter over there, that’s all,” Cinema explained while pointing over to a less than satisfied looking Annika leaned against the wall.
Li looked over and sarcastically commented, “Oh, I see. She looks pleasant.”
That’s when I noticed a familiar face. Slim! The Yogi Chi user I had met when I was in
China. I called him over to our little group and introduced him to Li and Cinema. He said that shortly after our encounter he went back home. He reconciled with his family a bit and they accepted his departure. He considered briefly taking over the family business, but the call to adventure came to him again and he soon found himself globetrotting once more. It was on the road to Morocco that he was approached by a man riding a camel that fit the description of the one that brought me and Li our invitations to this event. We all thought it was strange how Stargazer was able to track us all down from the various corners of the globe and yet none of us were aware of him before the letters.
The remainder of the evening we decided to just enjoy each other's company and not worry too much about the other fighters. Most of these men were wearing their strengths and weaknesses on their shoulders. I was more concerned with Annika and Volmar. With Annika, I couldn’t get a good read, but her reputation and scarily aggressive demeanor had me on notice. Volmar was different. He was certainly physically imposing but it was more than that. He had a secret, and it was more than most of these fighters would be able to contend with. I wasn’t even sure I could contend with it. But I had a secret as well.
The next day, we were all awakened early and treated to a fine breakfast. We suited up for battle and were taken on stretch limo golf cart shuttles down a concrete path deeper into the island. Out of the brush emerged a small, white stone stadium, with bleachers that could seat several thousand people. We could hear crowd noise as we approached and eventually saw the other guests on the island arriving as spectators. Just as expected, they all seemed to be of the rich elite variety. Stargazer said he reached out to the secret societies, and I knew this type all too well. They were the Russian mob bosses and Knights of Malta types of the world. Bilderbergs, Freemasons, Yakuza, etc… All people who thought they had the planet by the balls. All coming together to watch us prize fighters have each other by the balls.
We all met outside the arena to await instructions. I wore my typical attire that I would travel in. Nothing flashy was needed. Li however, wore a traditional white Chinese Tang suit. Slim was in his typical Yogi getup. Volmar went shirtless with black pants and bare feet. His muscles expanded more so without being hindered by that uniform he normally wore. Then I saw Annika. She was in a far different outfit than she was the night before. She wore a blue fabric tube top and matching boy shorts that exposed the caramel skin tone of her arms, legs, and midriff. She was an absolute knockout!
“Well, that’s gonna be distracting,” I mumbled to myself.
We were then taken to a small dugout type area on the sidelines of the tournament floor. There were refreshments there, which were much welcomed after the sun and humidity had set in from last night's tropical storm. About three thousand or so people sparsely filled the bleachers and were being served by the staff, while the sky box was inhabited by Mr. Stargazer and his guests from his office the day before.
The stage was a perfect square of white tiles at the center of the arena. It was large enough that a fight could carry on and allow a fighter that required movement as part of their attack strategy to not easily get cornered.
“Well, no turning back now, I suppose,” Li noted.
“Yeah. Best of luck,” I replied, knowing that we could very well end up fighting each other in this tournament.