The Savior

It is the year 2120 and technology exceeds anything that Earth has ever known. People now fly to different planets as frequently as driving a car. Exterestial life has been found and seeing an alien walking down the street is as common now as if seeing a Mexican in Florida. Yet, with the increase in technology and knowledge, Earth was growing worse. Most of the animals that were almost extinct 100 years ago have been forgotten and are like dinosaur’s in a museum, the skeletons of the Siberian Tiger and others are now dreamed up to become real to kids of the future. Pollution is growing steadily worse yet nobody is worried about it yet. They’ve grown accustomed to the brown sky when it looks like it will rain.

But one man can see the end of the Earth is near. He is General John Caldwell. Still a respected man in Washington DC he grows steadily worried as time passes what would be left of Earth when his son would be older.

He heard a laugh and turned from looking at the overcast sky to his son, Max Caldwell. The boy, at eight years of age, was already a great fighter, John had made sure of it. He smiled as he watched Max fight off a man that towered over him. Lieutenant Rocky Johnson was huge compared to many men these days. Standing at 6’5” Rocky had a huge muscular build and his hands could easily crush a man’s skull. Nobody would guess Rocky was only twenty one years of age. His black hair was cropped close to his head and his skin was a deep bronze color from his lineage.

Rocky looked mean to many people yet he loved kids, especially Max. And John knew Max adored Rocky, like an older brother. “Great one Max.” Rocky said smiling as Max blocked Rocky’s blow and stepping to the right, did a light punch to the small of the man’s back.

Max beamed with pride and turned to his father. “Did you see that dad?” Max asked, his face flushed in excitement, his blue eyes sparkling and his blond hair matted with sweat.

“Yes I did. That was good, Max. You really are learning.”

Max beamed even more and turned to Rocky. “May I go? Bobby is waiting for me.”

“Sure squirt.” Rocky said, ruffling up Max’s hair. Max waved and ran off to where his good buddy lived. Rocky turned to John, wiping off the sweat from his eyes. “Max sure is a smart boy for his age.”

“That he is. I think he gets if from his mother.” John said, his eyes growing sad as he thought about Maria. She had died when Max had been five. Max still remembered her but not as much as John did. He still missed her greatly. But when the plague had struck, she had gotten it and was gone within the week.

Rocky smiled and put a hand on John’s shoulder. John stood at 6’1” yet he looked small next to the Lieutenant. “I think he has your spirit, John.”

John smiled and looked up at his friend. “Thanks. You want some coffee?”

“Would love some.”

Later that night, John was sitting beside the fire, watching the flames lick and devour the wood. Winter was coming and it would look to be another cold October. John turned to look at Max’s sleeping form cradled under his arm. John sighed and wrapped the blanket tighter around his son. As he did so, he caught a glimpse of gold on the palm of Max’s right hand. Gently John took the hand and caressed the invisible marking. John knew that Max wasn’t just an ordinary kid. When John had met Maria, she was the President’s daughter and as gorgeous as anyone could be. They married but when Maria died, John left the Army to raise his son. Maria’s father didn’t want him to leave but John couldn’t do the job he use to do without her.

Even when Max had been born, both John and Maria knew he was special. The doctors said, after taking numerous x-rays, that Max had been born with a gold sphere in his hand. Nobody could tell what it was and Maria refused to let them run more tests on Max. But John knew to this day that Max was very important.

John smiled and stroked back a lock of golden hair from Max’s face. Max had Maria’s hair and eyes. John’s hazel eyes and brown hair just didn’t run in the family.

The general turned to look back into the fire, the thought of Max’s gold sphere running through his brain. Who knew what was in store for his son in the future...or for Earth.

TEN YEARS LATER

“Hey Dad, what’s that noise?” Eighteen year old Max Caldwell shouted to his dad from his room. The deep rumbling had been going on for five minutes now and it was getting worse. As if some huge machine was bearing down on them from above. Max wouldn’t be surprised if it was. Anymore so many strange and horrific kinds of species have been arriving on earth, making it their new home.

John Caldwell walked into Max’s room. “Probably more of those shipping planes.” John smiled but deep inside he felt his heart thump. Ever since Vadar had taken the seat in Washington DC America and the world hadn’t been the same. The sky now looked yellow instead of blue and acid rain would fall sometimes when the weather was especially bad. Pollution was horrible and hardly any animals were left. It was a rare site if you saw a rat even.

Five years ago, Captain Vince Mallon decided he was going to make Earth into a universal community to all in the galaxy. Not too many humans agreed but Vince didn’t need the humans. He sided with many kinds of aliens, including the deadly Ecrons-a life form made up of energy and matter. They looked more like robots instead of living beings.

Vince challenged the President and a war erupted. But there were too many aliens that were for Vince and America, along with the other countries lost the battle. Those who were left were driven into hiding. Those who had refused to hide were exicuted for treason. The Earth grew dismal and grey, no longer having green grass or blue sky.

Vince became the ruler and renamed himself Vadar. What made John even sicker was that he had served with Vader back in his army days. Vince had been a handsome young man full of life and with a ton of ego. But now he seemed to have grown a black heart and hunted down any person that would oppose him, especially any military personnel that he had worked with. Already several old friends of John’s had been found and exicuted, along with their families. John quickly went into hiding in one of the many underground shelters others had made years before. Max was full of anger yet he also didn’t quite understand what was going on.

A knock on the door made John jump and Max look up from the scraps of metal he was fixing up. “I’ll get it,” John said and turned to open the door.

“Hey,” the friendly face of Rocky met John.

“Hey there, what’s up?” John asked quickly letting Rocky in and shutting the door. He turned to look at the huge man only after bolting the door.

“I have some news. Vadar’s extending his search for more humans. That’s what all those sounds are from up above. He’s searching for us.”

Max had come into the room after hearing Rocky’s booming voice and his face showed concern. “What is it Dad?”

John turned to look at Max. His son had grown to be a very handsome young man. Standing an inch above his dad, his blond good looks and blazing blue eyes set him apart from many.

“Just more news from above.” John turned back to Rocky, who was shedding off his leather jacket. John knew Rocky had risked his life to get any news. Humans were hated up above; all but Vadar. Aliens now ran the place they had once called home. “You need to be careful out there, Rocky.” John muttered so Max wouldn’t hear. “You know Vince is looking for us.” John knew that more then ever Vince was spending all his time searching for his lost comrade in arms, especially John. Vince knew the John was a powerful enemy and could raise the rest of the surviving humans up against him. Vince had also worked side by side with Rocky and knew how close they were.

“I know.” Rocky muttered and smiled at Max. “So how’s it been going?”

“Good. Hey, check out this thing I’m making. I’ve actually put it together and all I have to do is cross some wires and then it’ll move.”

“Great, show me.” Rocky clapped the teen on the back and followed him to the room. John couldn’t help but smile. Max was very smart and always into inventing more things. More then half of the stuff in the small house was fixed up by Max. John’s smile faded and he let his head sink into his hands. He wished with all of his heart that the world was back to the way it was. He wanted Max to find a girl just right for him and have a family. But the future looked so dim for all of them, especially with Vadar searching endlessly for his own blood so he could destroy them.

Just then his eyes caught a glimpse of an old book laying under some papers. John pulled it out. The cover read “Legends of Old”. John sighed and opened it up. It had been Maria’s book. Max must have started reading it. John hadn’t touched any of Maria’s books since she had died.

But now something inside of him was telling him to look through it. John flipped through some pictures and was about to close it when something caught his eye. It was a picture of a human hand and in the palm of the hand was a sphere with several lines running through the circle. John’s heart pumped faster when he started to read the description of the Legend of the Golden Sphere.

“The Legend of the Golden Sphere is only a legend but many believe it to be true. It is said that a man will be born with a golden symbol in the palm of his right hand. That symbol, when connected with the wall that looks exactly like the symbol, can change Earth. When the two symbols collide, Earth will be reborn. Many believe the second symbol to be underground and that when the two symbols get close, they will vibrate."

John reread the caption over and over again. Could it be? That symbol looked exactly like the one in Max’s right palm. If this legend was true, Max was the savior for them all! The world was slowly being destroyed and soon nothing would be left. He knew Max had always been special but there is no way that his son could be what this legend claims he is.

Just then the room shook and a loud rumbling could be heard above. John shot out of his chair to see Rocky and Max run out. John’s heart plummeted when he heard men’s shouts. They had been found! As he lept up, he ripped the page containing the legend of the sphere out of the book.

“Quickly, get to the back!” John said, shoving Max in the direction. Rocky was quickly shoving on his jacket and grabbing two guns that were on the table. The shaking got worse and parts of the roof started falling. John took one of the guns from Rocky and quickly threw off a tarp that covered a hidden doorway. It was one they only used for emergencies. It led outside and no one knew about it.

“What’s happening?” Max asked, terror filling his eyes.

“It’s the troops,” Rocky said, his face frowning.

“Do you remember the drill, Max?” John asked, grabbing his son’s shoulders.

“Yes. Go out, make sure no one is looking and run toward cover in the brush.” Max said.

“Good. You follow Rocky and don’t stop or turn back. I’ll be right behind you.”

Max nodded but his face had fear written all over it. The room shook again and the voices got louder. Gun shots from the laser guns were heard and screaming from the injured and dying sent chills through all three men. Max turned to follow Rocky, who was waiting, flashlight and gun in hand. But something made him turn back and hug his father.

John hugged him back hard, feeling the tears rise up. “Now if anything happens,” John said, pulling away and looking Max in the eye. “You don’t stop. You keep following Rocky, you hear?”

“Yes sir.” Max muttered but his eyes screamed his defiance to what his father was asking.

“Take this.” John said and without thinking took off his gold wedding band Maria had given him and stuck it on Max’s finger. “It will keep us closer.”

Max had tears in his eyes but he nodded.

“Now go!” John said, shoving Max forward. He hated to be rough to his son but he had a bad feeling about this situation and time was running out.

Bright light flooded through the dark tunnel from the outside, even though it was night outside. Flashes of red and blue lights mixed together as more shots were fired on the helpless humans. Rocky stopped outside the door, gun raised, as he made sure the coast was clear. Max came up beside him and John behind.

The gun fires and shouts were much louder and dust covered the sky. John knew he didn’t have much time. “Rocky,” John said, pulling his good friend aside so Max wouldn’t hear. “Watch out for him. I don’t know how, but Max will be the one to save all of mankind, I know for a fact. Please take care of him.” With that said, John thrust the piece of paper into Rocky's hand.

Rocky nodded, his brown eyes showing his understanding. John turned to Max and nodded. “Be careful out there Max. I’ll be right behind you. And remember what I told you.”

Before Max could say anything, Rocky saw the coast was clear. Leaping up, he yanked Max to his feet and taking one last look at John, ran to the hideout. Max obeyed his father and ran after Rocky. Even when he heard the shouts of men who had spotted him, Max still didn’t turn around. Gunfire erupted and Max flinched and ducked as a reaction. It seemed like an eternity before they reached the ‘hideout’ which was only a group of thissel and brush yet could hide a car it was so tall. Only then did Max turn around, waiting to see his dad right behind him.

But John wasn’t there. “Dad?” Max cried stopping in his tracks.

“We can’t stop Max.” Rocky’s said, grabbing Max’s arm and dragging him along. But Max didn’t want to go. Where was his dad?

“But...where is he? He said he’d be right behind us.” Max tried to struggle against Rocky’s hold but the man was too strong. Rocky ignored Max’s pleading. Rocky himself wanted to turn back around and help John but John was his General and he would always obey the General’s orders, even if that meant losing his best friend.

As they drew farther and farther away, the shouts from the men grew softer. When Rocky felt it safe, he sank to his knees and dragged Max down with him.

“We have to go back, Rocky.” Max said, anger and fear in his blue eyes.

“You heard you father. We can’t. Vadar’s men are after us and it’d be too risky to go back now.”

Max turned in shock at his friend. Rocky was John’s best friend and now he was turning his back on him? Max remembered John’s words but he thought his dad would be following them to the hideout. Max felt hot tears escape from his eyes. He knew he was a baby to cry but his dad was all that he had left. He couldn’t just leave him out there. He was about to ignore Rocky and go running back to his home when a gust of wind knocked him down and as he looked up he saw a huge black plane leave the ground, the bright blood red of a circle with a spear through it painted on the side, symbolizing Vadar’s rule. And Max knew, even though he had no idea how, that his dad was on that plane.

“NO!” Max screamed and leapt up not knowing what he was doing. “DAD!”

Before he could start running after the plane he was yanked back down, Rocky’s strong hands pinning him to the ground. “Stop it Max. You want to get caught too?”

But Max didn’t care. He tried struggling against Rocky and even hit him a few times in the chest but Rocky didn’t budge, his muscular arms holding the fighting teen down. Max cursed at Rocky and hit him some more but realization suddenly dawned on him and within seconds, Max stopped struggling and started crying. His world was gone. His dad would surly be killed by Vadar’s hands. He felt strong arms wrapping around him and he was brought up against Rocky’s chest. Max didn’t care if he acted like a child. He sobbed into Rocky’s shirt, wishing that whoever had taken his dad would come and take him too.

Part 2