Bart sat down in front of his computer. Row upon row of text appeared before him, taunting his inability to steal his mind and get on with his work. He had always imagined that looking for out-of-place symbols would have been an adrenalin-rushing business. The secrets that would revealed themselves before him, the promise of unknown and unspoken-of conspiracies, the thrill of trespassing into a realm of forbidden knowledge...
Bart sighed, pressing the redirect link again. Yeah, so the movies lied. Six hours of fruitless refreshing was enough to wear down even the most inquisitive of minds. He'd long since lost all hope of achieving anything fun. His only reason for lingering was to find the ending, or any other result that would make this endeavor less pointless.
Bart scrolled down the screen, scanning its contents half-heartedly. Come on, come on, is there an end to this! He could feel his will collapsing - hey, a game of Call of Battlefield would be fun... maybe just a short internet video... come on, surely just a click on that news website wouldn't hurt-
"Wait!"he suddenly yelled, to nobody in particular. "There we go!"
And there it was. Another of those little symbols, hidden craftily on this web page. Well, to be honest, the web page was not exactly subtle - it was selling products that had no right to exist, like bacon perfume. But only somebody with the intelligence and the determination - like me, Bart thought with a little smirk - would have noticed the out-of-the-way signs, stashed away amid all the weirdness.
This symbol looked like a hodgepodge of numerous things: Words? Numbers? Pictures? Bart couldn't really tell for sure. But in any case, symbols were there to be clicked, and Bart, almost instinctively, moved his cursor on it and made a little tap.
Bart stared into the computer in rapt attention as the symbol slowly began to do its work. "Come on, come on, load already!"he slammed his fists onto the table in an impatient huff.
The monitor jolted. Bart quickly withdrew his hands from the computer. This PC was delicate, and forking out another thousand for a new rig was the last thing that Bart wanted.
But the monitor jolted again. "What the- "Bart shook his head and rubbed its eyes. Nope, it's not me. The machine was still rattling. If anything, it was shaking harder and harder, more and more violently, slowly trembling its way to the edge of the table...
Bart dared not touch the computer, which, for all he knew, looked like it was about to explode. All he could do was close his eyes, block up his ears and hope that he would be able to find another thousand dollars sometime soon-
1... 2... 3... 4... 5... the crashing sound never came. Lucky, Bart thought. He let go of his hands from around his ears, opened his eyes, and stretched his arms forth, ready to move the prodigal computer back into its old place.
Too soon.
There was no more computer. On the other side of the desk, looking down at him with undisguised smugness, was a small... figure... in a tailcoat and a walking stick.
Bart wanted to scream, but couldn't. My computer was actually... just like in the movies...
The alien seemed much less distressed. "So, you're the one who followed the trail I myself left."
Alright, he's not going to kill me... yet. Bart gulped.
The figure let out a small sigh. "I'm more than certain that you speak this language. So are you going to answer me or not? Because I've got a lot of applicants for this offer."
"Um... what offer?"Bart asked uneasily.
"Well, it's- "the figure stopped himself. "Actually, let's start off with the niceties. My name is Eris. And I'm a man. Despite what I might seem like, sometimes... "
A little poof, and before Bart could finish his blink, the figure turned into a rather attractive woman in a long, flowing dress. "... I'm not sure why it's so hard for people to accept that."
Another poof, and Eris turned back into the boring, old, tailcoated figure. "Now what about you?"
Erm... It was just like back in elementary school. Better answer this... thing. "Well... my name is Bartholamew or 'Bart', for short. Most people think I'm some escaped mental patient."
"Alright."Eris nodded politely. "Well, good then, Bart. Let's talk about this offer."
"Let's,"Bart replied, curiosity getting the better of him.
"Short and sharp. I like that,"Eris smiled. "Now here's the problem. One of my many children has gotten a little... lax in his work lately, shall we say. And I've chosen you to be the person who's going to help him."
Ok, this is a bit creepy, Bart thought. I'm pretty sure people get abducted like this. "Uh, why me? Isn't there someone more qualified? Like a teacher, or a babysitter, or a- "
Eris interrupted brusquely. "Firstly: because you found all the symbols - you didn't give up when all the others had done so. Secondly: yes, you're the most qualified, and, you passed my test, and that's the only qualification that I needed."
Seriously, this is creepy. "Well, I don't want to do it."
The smile disappeared from the figure's face. "Let me clarify some things here. One: I'm offering you this once-in-a-lifetime chance. As I said, there are tons of people who would kill for such an opportunity. Two: I'm giving you another shot at life. Look at you,"Eris gestured around the filthy room. "You're just sitting here, playing computer games day after day. Is this what you want? Three: You're going to have power - more power than you'll have here, more power than you've ever dreamed of. And four- "
A sudden peal of thunder crashed through the entire study. The room shook with its reverberations. Bart could hear the books come off of their shelves and piling up on the floor. Eris resumed his smile. "Four: I'm asking nicely now. Do you want to see what I'm like when I'm angry?"
Bart shuddered at the mere speculation of what this paranormal being could do. "N-no,"he stammered, shaking his head quickly and reluctantly.
"Good."
Bart contemplated his current situation. "Oh, one last thing!"he suddenly interjected.
"Argh!"Eris groaned in annoyance. "What?"
"Is there a downside to this?"
"Oh. Is that all you wanted to ask?"the figure gazed at the ceiling in contemplation. "Not much, really... well, for all intents and purposes, you'll be dead in this world - not that you weren't before, anyway. Certainly nobody is going to doubt your existence in the new world that I'm sending you to. As for work... well, you won't have to do any work. Well okay, almost no work."
"What do you mean, almost no work?"If Bart couldn't choose whether he wanted a new life, he, at the very least, wanted to know what this 'new life' was going to be like.
Eris sighed. He'll get it soon enough. "You must be off,"the figure mused. "Or you'll miss your train."
Bart didn't even get a chance to have one last look on Earth. "What train... ?!"
Without so much as a blur or a gentle transition, Earth suddenly transformed into a train carriage. The slow, rhythmic beat of the train tracks, the sound of wind gushing past the darkened windows. Bart wasn't dreaming. This was real. He pressed himself against the window, trying to discern what was outside. He couldn't see. He looked around the train car. Nobody was here, not even Eris.
"You'll be dead in this world... "the gravity of Eris' words finally hit him. Bart was now a non-entity, a non-existent being. My family... my friends... what would they think? What would they say? He could just imagine his mothering, knocking timidly on his door after three contactless months, calling the police in desperation, surveying the empty apartment with terrified eyes, scrambling around the room, ignoring the stench of rotting food and decaying timber, looking for her vanished son...
Bart took his head into his hands, tears fast falling down his eyes. No. This can't be happening. This can't-
There was a note on his lap. From Eris, no doubt. Bart stared at it for a moment, resisting the monstrous urge to pick it up and rip it all into tiny, unrecognizable pieces. This Eris - this... thing - that has taken from me everything I love...
"Calm down, Bart," the rational side of him urged him against rash action. "Maybe, when all this is done, he'll let you go back home. Come on... at least, read about what he wants you to do."
Sighing, Bart picked up the tiny scrap of paper.
Bart,
Sorry for cutting our conversation short (and whisking you away like that). I had things to do, and, to be honest, it's best that you see things for yourself.
Basically, you'll soon realize that you possess the powers of chaos. Now it's not simply 'oh, let's wreck this building and kill that person'. No. Part of your journey will be about learning how to control your abilities. For the moment, take it slow.
To use your powers, concentrate on thinking about what you want to happen. And it will happen, in most cases anyway. Simple, right?
Eris
PS: You may want to get off at the next stop. That's where your journey will begin - or will it?
So the note didn't really help matters. "Powers of chaos... "Bart repeated. That didn't make sense, really. Surely chaos was just the lack of power and organization, the same way that space is just a lack of objects. What does it mean to have the powers of chaos?
Actually, as he thought about it more, there was one thing Bart wanted to try. He closed his eyes, and concentrated on the thought of Earth. His home. His things. His books. His room. His-
"I want to go back to Earth,"he commanded.
1... 2... 3... 4... 5. Bart opened his eyes. Same old train carriage. Same rhythmic bumps underneath him. He looked back just to make sure. Nope. The train wasn't even a train belonging to the city authority.
"Darn it,"he cursed.
Bart had no option but to bow to the unchangeable. Time to accept your fate... for now. "Alright, Powers of Chaos, if you do actually exist. I want to go to sleep."
And with that, he shut his eyes. And before he could even think of the world he had so unwillingly left behind, Bart fell into a deep slumber.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Bart became conscious. Another day in... NO NO NO! His mind suddenly screamed internally. Don't open your eyes, don't open your eyes!
Bump-bump. Those jolts from the undercarriage were still there. Now, maybe this is just a train trip that I've fallen asleep in, Bart rationalized. Maybe this is even an ambulance, rushing me to the nearest hospital. On Earth.
Bart was still too skeptical and terrified to open his eyes. Oh, how hard he wished, how much he wished that his hopes and dreams could be made true...
Screeeech! The sound of the brakes mercilessly crushed these naive wishes. The train lurched dangerously forward. Bart, unprepared, rolled of his seat, his body making a nauseating crunch as he made contact with the floor. He eyes involuntarily shoot open. Nope. Same train floor.
Bart cursed again, picking himself up-
"What the- !"he exclaimed. The train floors were still the same. But the train walls were certainly not the same. Whereas previously, they had been rather conservatively decorated - brown wooden paneling, austere windows - now it looked like a four-year old had been in charge of design. The walls were all colored in different hues, the floor littered with small objects he didn't remember nor recognize.
He leant over to examine one of those objects near him. It was a sonic-screwdriver like from the tv show Doctor Who. Bart decided to keep it - he had been a gamer, after all, and as long as there was space in his inventory, having a screwdriver seemed to be a better deal than having no screwdriver.
A monotone voice crackled through the announcement system. "This is your conductor speaking: we are at the station. Please will all passengers disembark. I repeat: we are the station. Please will all passengers disembark."
Bart obliged, stepping out into a large station. Despite its size, it was devoid of any lifeforms, human or alien or otherwise. Alright, Bart said, looking around the area. The station was so large that he couldn't see any windows or openings, anything to tell him where he was at this moment. The whole thing was strangely surreal. Perhaps this is really just a dream, after all...
"Alright then, where do we go from here?"Bart mumbled to himself.
Pop. "That's simple."
Bart spun around, hands gripping at the screwdriver in his pocket. A young man in a strange uniform came into view to his left. "Information," Bart repeated the word sewn onto this stranger's hat.
Before Bart could ask him for any real information - like where the hell is this place?! - this strange man got in there first. "Do you have another ticket?"
"Ticket?"Bart repeated dumbly.
"Yes. For the next train."
"Umm... not to my knowledge..." Bart felt around in his pockets.
"Well, check your pockets," the person nevertheless insisted.
"I don't recall them having any tickets." Bart could not help but feel a little insulted at this man's patronizing attitude.
"Check harder."
"Look, all I have is this screwdriver and a note from this guy called Eris."A frustrated Bart pulled out his worldly goods, putting them on display for the other person to see.
The man took Eris' note and flipped it to and fro a few times. Satisfied, he gave it back to Bart. "That there's a ticket."
"Oh really?"Bart turned around, putting the ticket under a nearby lamp so he could better see. TICKET, the letters spelled out. No destination, no origin, no time; just a piece of paper that claimed to be a ticket. 'Information' would definitely come in handy here. "Can you tell me where this train is- "
"-going." Bart spun around to find the man gone. The platform was, once again, devoid of life. "Hello!" Bart hollered. "Hello! Anybody there?"
No response.
Bart cursed under his breath. Well, nothing left to it, besides just sitting here and waiting for something to come along.
He sat down on a nearby bench, and began to think once again about Earth, his home, his friends, his mom and all the things he might not see again.
Sudden anger filled Bart’ mind. "Why me!" He screamed to the empty train station. "I didn't ask for this." His anger fading just as quick as it had come, he slumped down deeper into the bench.
"What do I do now?" In most cases talking to yourself is seen as a sign one is Crazy. But in Barts case it is more a nervous habit. "Who knows how long until the next train gets here." Looking to the clock Bart sighed.
Standing Bart walked around the station talking to himself as he took stock so to speak, Old fashion lamps, benches low to the ground and no posters on the walls. "Hmmm, where did I get sent? canada? No, to warm to be canada and not warm enough to be south of the border." As he was walking he realised something, if this was a train station why was he the only one here?
Turning to the doors at the back of the station Bart set out. "Time to find out where I’m at."
Opening the doors Bart looks around the sun is setting the west coloring the sky hues of pink and light purple. stepping out the door and down the steps, “Beautiful just-” Bart spin around as a loud slam suddenly sounds behind him . His mouth hung agape the building was gone and not just gone, where it once stood was nothing more the undisturbed fields stretching far off into the distance. “-Beautiful.” the last word was so weighed down with sarcasm it all but fell from his mouth.
Turning slowly in a circle Bart took in his surroundings in greater detail. The first thing he noticed was that the road was dirt as far as he could see both ways. the next was that someone or something was walking towards him from the forest. Bart could not quite make out what it was. At first he thought it was just another person but as they got closer he noticed that It, whatever It was walked on four legs. The cloak it was wearing made it seem slightly sinister it’s face hidden in the deep shadows of its hood.
Bart stood dumbstruck as he tried to figure out what it was. The figure tilted its head slightly to the side but said nothing. A minute passed then another but still both stood staring neither saying a word or making a move.
"So you would be...” Bart let the sentence hang in the air.
At first only silence greeted his quire, then the figure spoke "A friend...”. The two simple words were said in a rough voice without any sign of feeling or care but Bart almost felt as though the figure wanted to say more.
"And i’m just supposed to trust you?” Bart was a little apprehensive about trusting anyone who hide their face in a hood.
"Yes, just as once I had to trust you.” with a quick flip of its head the hood flew back to reveal a light blue unicorn with a silver mane with a few streaks of gray. this stopped all thoughts Bart may have been thinking as his mouth fell open, but the strangeness did not stop there. Atop the cracked horn of the unicorn rested a strange wire frame, like scaffolding for an ond statue.
"Uni...unicorn, but how?...” Bart stamer no for a moment more before realising that he must look stupid and that the unicorn in question had a smile like the Cheshire cat. “Whats so funny! Bart lash out, his words like a whip.
“just enjoying being the one with all the answers for once.” with that he turned and began to walk away from Bart. After two or three steps he paused and said in a more cheerful tone “Are you coming or not? We have a long walk ahead of us you know.”