This short is the first in a series and ties into Celestial Falcon which is LIVE on Kickstarter right now!
CLICK HERE TO GO TO THE KICKSTARTER
On an island somewhere on Earth where very few people dare to venture.
[Chris is sitting on the beach deep in though, a robot hovers over to him]
Robot: Am I interrupting, master?
Chris: Oh, no, um…what’s your name again?
Robot: I am X-9, head of the AI robotics. We all reactivated when the [REDACTED] was brought back online. I am responsible for maintaining this island and creating the technologies you require to continue your endeavors.
Chris: Right. Sorry, I’m still getting use to all of… this.
X-9: Completely understandable, master.
Chris: I’m still not used to the whole master thing…
X-9: He created us and you are the [REDACTED] of our creator, so as he is no longer here, you are designated our new master.
Chris: That’s going to take some time to get used to. What is it you wanted, X-9?
X-9: Your [REDACTED] wanted me to begin your training. The sooner you learn and master your abilities the better.
Chris: Well, he’s right…
[Chris stands up]
Chris: Okay, so, where do we start?
X-9: Well… we could start with your simplest ability, and that is strength.
Chris: Yeaaah… I already had a small issue with that..
*Flashback*
Chris: He says I have some amazing abilities, but it’s not like I can just lift this whole computer console up…
[Chris sarcastically tries to life up a giant computer console and is able to lift it with ease over his head, wires and mechanisms break and spark and the robots scramble. Chris puts the computer down and the robots start to assess the damage.]
Chris: Woah!
*Flashback ends
X-9: We definitely don’t want more incidents like that. This will be more of a control exercise. Follow me.
[Chris and X-9 walk off, a little while later in what seems to be an empty room]
X-9: The first thing we will work on is relearning the world around you.
[X-9 floats over to a panel and presses some buttons and the room changes to a city block]
Chris: Hologram room, huh? This place is full of surprises.
X-9: As I was saying, the world for you is now a very different place. Your strength will now allow you to move and do many things you never could before. However, at the same time it makes objects and people around you even more frail than they were before.
Chris: So you’re saying the world now feels like cardboard to me.
X-9: If by that you mean very fragile… yes. You must learn how to use your strength, but also to control it… even in the most… intense of situations
[X-9 presses a few more buttons, children playing in the street appear, a truck appears down the road speeding towards them]
X-9: Stop the truck before it hits the children.
Chris: Okay.
[Chris runs towards the children, turns around only a few feet away and braces for the truck. The truck slams into him, it pushes him a few inches backwards, but Chris is able to stop it]
Chris: Easy enough, and everyone’s safe.
X-9: Are they?
[X-9 floats over to the truck]
X-9: You may have saved the children, but because you stopped the truck so quickly… you mortally wounded the driver.
Chris: Eh!
[Shocked, Chris observes the truck driver dummy hanging out of the front window]
X-9: Just because you have the ability to stop the truck quickly doesn’t mean you should. Instead, you should have met the truck earlier and gradually slowed it down. If the situation was different you would also have the driver’s well-being to worry about… this is for a future advance lesson. For now, let us rewind and try this again.
[The session rewinds. This time Chris meets the truck sooner and instead of stopping the truck immediately he tries to gauge his strength and slows the truck down instead]
X-9: Very good, master.
Chris: YEAH!
[Chris swings his arm around in celebration and hits a pole, the pole bends and crashes into a row of parked cars]
Chris: Oops.
X-9: We still have a lot of work to do, master.
Chris: Heh, good thing it’s just a hologram.
[Later on]
Chris: So I just need to throw this ball at that target?
X-9: Yes, master, but show as much restraint as you can. Make the throw look “normal.”
Chris: I love pitching, so I should be able to show some control.
[Chris throws the ball and tries to hold back, the ball flies at the target and the target explodes]
Chris: This could take a while.
[Several Days later. Chris has a huge block of metal over his head as he walks over to a marked area and gently places the metal down.]
Chris: No sweat, I think I’m getting the hang of this!
X-9: One last test, master…
[The room changes again to a column surrounded by a purple energy]
X-9: All you have to do is break the column.
Chris: What’s with the weird stuff around it?
X-9: You will see.
[Chris tries to punch the column, the energy fluctuates on impact, but the column for the most part is still intact]
Chris: What the?!
X-9: That, master, is Dark Magic. One of the very few things that can hurt you, and will take quite a bit more of your power to hurt it. This is what most of the time you will be standing up against when you face them.
Chris: So you’re saying I can’t break through this?
X-9: You can, with enough concentration and training you will be able to. It’s just not something that will come easy.
Chris: So I have a chance!
[Chris stares at the column]
Chris: Maybe if I just…
X-9: …!
Chris: AHHHHHH!
[Chris punches at the column again and this time the energy cracks and begins to break but the column is still intact]
X-9: Well that is… unexpected.
Chris: I’m sorry?
X-9: You were able to crack the energy.
Chris: I know, but I still wasn’t able to break through. I’ll just have to keep working on it.
X-9: I think… I think that is enough training for today! We can pick up on more tomorrow.
Chris: I am working up a sweat, maybe I’ll go grab something to eat for a bit. Thanks, X-9.
X-9: You’re…welcome
[Chris walks off]
Voice: Hmm. His abilities are progressing a lot faster than I think we anticipated. This is something we definitely must monitor.
X-9: Affirmative.
End
