Legacy: G.L.O.W. By Phillip McSween Chapter 1 He was a nobody.

Thats what Bartok Organons school counselor had told him in not exactly the same words. The conversation had killed any hopes of a good mood even hours later. The quiet and tranquility of Inner Park made the words resonate loudly inside his mind despite his desire to forget. He was somehow reminded of the predicament that was his future everywhere he looked. The glass dome encasing the park reminded him of how his lowly rank had him trapped with little options. The woman trimming the tree branches and the man shoveling the dung of the park animals gave him a glimpse into the career life he had to look forward to. Even his clothes, still smelling of the Senior Care Center where he volunteered, were a reminder of the arduous, long, and unfulfilling life awaiting him. Arms resting atop the bench he leaned his head back, gazing up into the night sky. The snow was coming down faster than the preciblowers could keep it off the glass. He would have to get home soon. The light orb closest to him flickered twice before returning to full gleam. Bartok didnt notice. He watched a lady pacing back and forth in front of a tree as she ranted at someone on her vidphone. Her dark skin was the same as his brothers complexion. Seeing her anger somehow dampened his mood even more. He didnt want to be the Lyre Ruler or a Continent Representative or a megaicon, but he at least wanted to know that it was possible to dream of such things. He just wanted to make a difference in the world without being limited by his rank. It frustrated him to no end to be restricted because of something he had no control over. The positive voice inside him tried to say that he was overreacting. He had gotten through worse. Having survived a dirty, poorly-funded orphanage, finding a job should be easy. He was only fourteen, no need to worry. There would be plenty of time to better the world. He was already on the right track with all the hours he had logged at the SCC. As soon as a hint of a smile had formed on his face, those dreaded words returned to taunt him. You are an Eight of Diamonds. Dont expect anything more The daze engrossing his mind lifted, dropping him back into full reality. Sirens blared with an obnoxious, repeated droning. Flashing green lights flooded the park, casting his lightbrown skin in a sickly pallor. Force officers and park attendants dashed in all directions as if their very lives depended on it. As he wondered why the preciblowers were no longer managing to keep the snow off the glass, an automated voice chimed in: Warning. System failure due to a severe weather technicality. Please exit as promptly as possible in order of rank. Warning Bartok sensed there was something terribly wrong besides the obvious, but he was somehow having trouble making his mind work. A growing dread began to seep in making his heart beat faster and the top of his bald head tingle. Home suddenly felt far away. One of the park patrol officers was sprinting towards him, hands waving wildly. Everythings down, the officer had to yell to be heard. That got Bartok to his feet. A shiver ran throughout his short, athletic frame. Everything? Everything, including the animal cages. And the laser bridge is fading. You and the woman over there are the only civilians left, she nodded towards the dark-skinned lady that had been engrossed in a vidphone conversation earlier. A male force officer was now trying to direct her towards the exit. And, do me a favor, if youre a Face Rank, keep it to yourself. Chief would kill us if he knew we got you out last.

No worries there, Bartok replied absently, his reddish-purple eyes focused on the deer hopping by right in front of him. Hold on. She pulled a palm-sized communicator from her pocket. Me and officer Quorl got the last two of em. Are the animals secure? Thanks for the heads up, Ill let you know if I see it. Were moving out now. Lets go, she gave Bartok a serious nudge towards the exit. Are the animals secure? Bartok was about to ask the question for himself, but the officer answered him by pulling the blaster from her hip. Though he prided himself on being in excellent physical shape, he found it difficult keeping up with her as she half-walked, halfjogged towards the exit. An exit which seemed so far away, almost 100 yards. Barely in front of them were officer Quorl and the dark-skinned woman who, he noticed for the first time, had short, green hair. Animal escapees shrank back behind trees as the four of them raced past. He had wanted more excitement in his life, but this hadnt been the idea. Most of the predators have been subdued so we should be fine. She sounded like she was trying to convince herself. Her curly red hair bounced from one shoulder to the next while she scanned every detail of their surroundings. Out here in the open like this, we should see most of them coming if they attempt to attack us. The only on They slid to a halt as the dark-skinned woman was knocked off her feet and officer Quorl was scooped into the air where he somehow hung suspended. Eyes squinting with exertion, Quorl screamed while trying to push at the invisible force that held him. Its got him! the female officer yelled into her communicator. The lank things got him! I need back up Her words were drowned out by the laser bullets she fired off. The lights flickered once more and, by the time they steadied, there were two Quorlsa top half and a bottom half. Blood oozed from his waist and torso as he was crunched and devoured by invisible teeth. Try as he might, Bartok couldnt make himself look away. Inner Park contained a number of animals from all over Lyre, none more frightening than the invisimonster. Bartok had been a few yards away from one before, but he had always been separated by a cage or a telescreen. He never grew tired of watching it appear and disappear before his eyes. From a protected distance, it was one of the most amazing creatures he had ever seen, but up close and personal, it made him want to jump out of his skin. The female officer stopped firing, her head and torso suddenly finding themselves in the creatures jaws. With little effort, she was flung a good fifty yards before landing awkwardly on one of the park benches. The invisimonster made itself visible with a loud roar sounding like a deep war horn, shaking Bartok down to his socks. Though its plated head rested higher than his own, its thick tongue, oozing with saliva, managed to reach all the way to the ground. The skin on its massive body carried the same lime plating, hard and unmovable. The thing was built like a small tank! It took a couple of slow steps on its three legs as it sniffed the air, ripping up grass with laser-sharp claws. Two hind legs gave it speed while the front leg kept it balanced. Crazy yellow eyes as large as fists scanned its surroundings for potential enemies. The dark red hair atop its curvy, pointed ears stood straight up when it bellowed twice more. Bartok wanted to believe he was dreaming but the stench of the creatures proximity was all too real. Without knowing what else to do, he crouched low to the ground when the creature turned its head. The nearest tree was nowhere close to him, twenty, maybe thirty yards away. The lights kept flickering. No one made a sound. He was starting to think that he was all alone in the park when he remembered the dark-skinned woman that Quorls had been trying to save. He found her in the same spot she had fallen, except she had gotten to her feet now. Her eyes were

locked tightly on the invisimonster as it walked slowly testing its freedom. His throat tightened when he heard her whimpering. Please dont scream, he whispered, knowing she couldnt hear him. Please dont scream. Please dont It was a wonder her windpipe didnt explode. The invisimonster whipped around responding with a roar of its own. Without thinking, Bartok was on his feet running headlong for the woman. Even if she hadnt been frozen solid, he knew she had no chance of getting away. The creature was coming too fast, disappearing and reappearing in staggered intervals. They reached her simultaneously. The creature saw him coming, giving him just enough time to distract its attention from the heavy-set woman. He rammed the invisimonster with his broad shoulder as hard as he could. Its side was surprisingly softer than what he had expected. The creature hit the ground with a roll, slamming hard into one of the park benches before coming to a stop. Thank you! the womans voice cut through his surprised trance. Are you one of the force members? Bartok frowned at her question. No. Im just You are an Eight of Diamonds. Im just me. Its getting up! her arms wrapped around his bicep. Wood chips from the broken park bench cascaded off the invisimonsters side as the creature made its way to its feet. With a low growl, the creature shook its head repeatedly. Its eyes, groggy at first, shot wild once more when it locked on to Bartok. Its mouth gaped wide with a horrifying roar then it bounded straight for them. Bartok instinctively moved the heavyset woman behind him. They were out in the open with nowhere to go. Despite his vulnerability, he managed to keep his face a mask of calm. He tried to get his mind to work, but he couldnt think of his next move. Move! The word was canonized by the sound of firepower from numerous blasters. Bartok had to duck and dodge while protecting the woman at the same time. Green and red laser bullets flew past him on all sides. He almost screamed at them to quit shooting but stopped short when he saw that quite a few of the bullets were connecting, piercing the sides of the invisimonster. The creature had to slide to a stop, howling in pain as blue blood oozed between its cracked plating. Bartok felt relief washing over him. Until the creature disappeared again. Cease fire! one of the force members yelled. The automated voice had finally stopped her repeated babble while the lights still flickered on and off, at longer intervals now. Bartok was so scared, he didnt dare move from his crouched position. The womans grip tightened once more around his arm. Did we get him? another force member called out over the annoying sirens. Please tell me they got him, Bartok said barely above a whisper. A roar erupted from the other side of the park followed by a womans scream. More laser bullets lit up the night. We gotta get outta here, the womans voice quivered. If only it were that easy, Bartok thought to himself. We cant leave, the officer I was with said the bridge was fading and thats a long way to fall if it goes out before we hit land. What should we do then?

For the first time, Bartok noticed that she looked to be no older than someone in third school, three years older than him at the most. Follow me, he said. He took off in a low crouch towards the nearest tree he could find. Despite the gunfire, screams, and sirens, he allowed focus to overtake him. He was past the point of disbelief now and already working in survival mode. Because of his height, he had to jump to reach the closest branch. Birds flittered out of the tree shouting their displeasure when he began tugging on the branch. Come on, come on. He thought his muscled weight would be enough to break the branch off, but it wouldnt budge. Another roar, this one from closer than before, made him resort to bouncing. Finally, the wood started to break until his feet were back on the ground. Here, help me tug. The dark-skinned woman complied and the two of them together were able to free the two-pronged branch. The wood was lighter than he expected, perfect to run with, though he still had to carry it with two hands. Where are we going? the woman followed behind him as he took off into a sprint. To higher ground. Theres a bridge overlooking the entire park. Hopefully, we can hole up there until everything is safe. Whats the branch for? Just in case we dont get that far. Though the bridge was about eighty-five yards away, it looked to be twice that distance, especially with them running out in the open. Time didnt seem to move fast enough. Seventy yards. Sixty-five. From the corner of his eye, he could see the beast versus man battle being waged out in the open. The beast was winning. Fifty yards. It roared triumphantly disappearing and reappearing at will, picking off the officers foolish enough to get too close. One man screamed when he was thrown to the ground just before getting his head stomped in. Another was lashed across the face with the creatures tail. Bartok didnt have time to feel bad. He was too busy thinking about surviving. Forty-five yards. The invisimonsters roar made his entire body vibrate. Apo, help us! Its coming! the heavyset woman screamed. Keep running! Bartok yelled back. Dont stop, just get to the bridge. The creature moved at great speed for its size. That combined with its constant disappearance in the flickering lights and Bartok found himself in a hard position. Bullets fired off in his direction, much closer to hitting him than the invisimonster. They reached a steep rock path. This leads up to the bridge. Go! He shouted. He turned and swung to his left as hard as he could. The branch broke in two as it connected against the invisimonsters plated sides. The monster fell sideways and rolled, getting back on its feet almost instantly. Bartok took the branch piece he had left and ran for his life up the rock path. Thankfully, the woman was already a good distance ahead. From below, he could hear one of the officers yelling something to him, but he couldnt make out what it was above the sirens. Something sharp scraped against the back of his leg causing him to stumble and hit the ground mouth first. He turned only to be faced with monstrous eyes and blood-stained teeth. He backpedaled as the invisimonster moved towards him, its smell overpowering his nostrils. Fortunately, it couldnt move fast because the path was too narrow for its wide body. Bartok kicked it in the mouth just managing to avoid getting his foot bitten off. The creature got close again and Bartok smacked it on the side of the head with the branch. That created enough space for him to get up and start running once more.

What are you doing? he asked breathlessly once he had reached the top of the rock path. He thought the woman would have already been across the bridge by now. Look, she pointed downwards. The bridge was encased on both sides by glass walls for visitors to admire the view. The flooring was made up of a sheet of solid laser, the same type of laser sheets used to support sky homes. Bartoks heart sank when he saw that the sheet was flickering with a repeated buzzing. They wouldnt survive the fall if the bridge failed. He could hear the invisimonsters growls getting closer. Trapped. His eyes scanned the distance to the other side. It seemed longer than he remembered. Resolved, he said, Weve gotta cross it. What? Are you crazy? the woman looked at him as if he were just that. We dont have a choice! That thing is coming and I dont wanna be here when it gets here. If we go right now, we have a better chance of making it before the bridge goes out completely. Come on, well go together. He could taste the blood in his mouth now. The branched quivered in his quaking hand. He couldnt remember having been more afraid. He put a tiptoe on the laser sheet to test it. Satisfied, he started across, one hand on the broken branch and the other pulling the woman along by her arm. The laser sheet flickered with each step, but managed to hold their weight. He tried not to think about what would happen if the bridge gave out. The invisimonsters roar forced both his hands to his ears. He jumped when glass on both sides shattered and burst from the impact of the sound. He turned to find the invisimonster inching its way forward, its three legs forcing it into a slight hobble as it crept forward. Its wide, frightening eyes were locked on Bartok. Bartok stared back with a look as fearless as he could make it. Eyes never leaving the creature, he bent down and picked up the branch he had dropped. Go, he said without turning to look at the woman. Crouched low, the creature seemed ready to pounce at any moment. If they both tried to run, there was no way they would be fast enough. Bartok held the branch in both hands like a heavy sword. A low, guttural sound held in the creatures throat. Drool oozed from its thick tongue. Bartok could feel the sweat sliding down the top of his head. I must be the craziest man alive, he said. Then he charged with everything he had. The invisimonster stood with its mouth gaped waiting for its prey to arrive. Bartok swung just as it snapped at him, connecting underneath its jaw. The impact knocked the branch out of his hand and put the invisimonster on its back. He took off running leaving the branch behind. The bridge flickered off and on at longer intervals. Bartok wondered which step would be his last. The woman had almost made it. He could feel the invisimonster at his back gaining on him fast. The bridge blinked once then again. The edge seemed so far. Jump! he yelled. He dove, the full extension of his body pushing him past the woman. The bridge disappeared just as he got his right hand on the edge of the other side. A scream came from behind him overlapped by a fading yelp. He reached his left arm back and managed to grab hold of something solid. A hand. The added weight almost caused him to lose his grip on the edge. His feet dangled helplessly as the woman wiggled with panic over the ground far below. His skin flushed red against the pressure of trying to lift her with one arm. The effort strained even the

core of his ab muscles. With a final grunt, he was able to get her planted on solid ground. He barely had enough energy left to haul himself over. He laid on the platform with his arms stretched out and his legs hanging off the edge listening to the sounds of their labored breathing. Adrenaline flowed through every inch of his veins. Eyes closed, he envisioned his heart beating in time with the repeated banging against his chest. The woman was already on her feet when he finally stood up. She was staring through the space the bridge had left. Down on the grass, the officers had crowded around the dead invisimonster, guns at the ready just in case. Her voice was solemn. A split second later and I wouldve been down there with that thing. Yeah, Bartok responded, noticing for the first time that his shirt had somehow been ripped in multiple places. The woman graced him with a meaningful look. Her pea green eyes held him. Thank you. Youre welcome, he flashed her a knowing smile. He gave her the same smile as he passed her on his way to his car almost two hours later. Apparently she must have been a Face Rank because she was the only one being swarmed by reporters. Listen, guys, Im tired and I need some rest, he heard her say as he passed by. Big things coming up and everything. Besides, thats the guy you need to be interviewing right there. Hes the hero, not me. Hey, wait up! Her footsteps crunched in the ankle-deep snow as she caught up with him. The blizzard had let up, but for how long, no one knew. The weather on Lyre was more random than the Ranking System. I was wondering where you were, she said. I thought you had already taken off. Had to stick around for a bit. Force wanted to ask me some questions. Bartoks jaw clenched at the memory. Questions? What kind of questions? You know, stuff like, why was I at the park at this time? Why didnt I hear the sirens? The usual hassle questions. Unlock. His Ace Krillion ground car responded to his command. The real question is, why didnt they get us out with everybody else? Bet they didnt ask you that. Bartok grinned. Looking behind him, he could see the force officers trying unsuccessfully to push back the reporters. And these were the same people protecting the streets at night. Hopeless. Im surprised they didnt ask you if you had something to do with the power shutting down. The woman caught the tight-lipped expression he made. Her eyes widened. They didnt! Are you serious? That thing tried to eat us! Why would they even think something like that? Oh, theyre gone! Crazy in slang terms. Bartok chuckled. He could see himself hanging out with someone like her. They just wanted a reason to hassle a Number Rank, thats all. Looking for someone to cover for their mistakes. Though he had to take big steps to avoid tripping in the snow, the warm night air held the perfect walking temperature. Hmmm, its a good thing I didnt give them my rank then. He stopped, giving her a confused look. She had a sneaky smile on her face. You

Respunam Pardogi, Seven of Spades, she extended her hand. Bartok Organon, Eight of Diamonds, he returned the handshake, unable to mask his surprise. Perfect. She walked away. He thought about calling after her to ask her what she meant, but the adrenaline was wearing off and his tired body was screaming to get home. He was about to pull off in his car when he saw a tiny spec of light hovering just inches from his windshield. He blinked and shook his head thinking his mind must be playing tricks on him after such a dramatic ordeal. When he opened his eyes, the spec of light had moved closer. Before he knew it, it was on his windshield. Then it was moving through his windshield inside his car. Bartok wanted to swat it away, but was unable to, paralyzed by the strangeness of it all. The light hovered in front of his face for a long moment as if it were surveying him. Its closeness splayed a warmth across his cheeks that was both comforting and familiar. It touched down on the top of his steering wheel and lingered for a bit. Then it was gone, flying back the way it had come and disappearing. Bartok was so busy watching the speck of light that he didnt see what it had left behind. He didnt notice it until it fell from the steering wheel onto his lap. He picked it up between his thumb and forefinger to examine it: a tiny, circular object with another circle protruding in its center. When he pressed down upon it, he wasnt surprised to see a light shimmer up from its center and words materialize in front of his face. It was a hololetter. He was a little nervous as the last letter hed received had been a request to meet with his school counselor and that had obviously turned out horribly. The anticipation made him wish the words would move faster. Dear Bartok Organon, Congratulations. You have been chosen to participate in Project: G.L.O.W. (Guardians Lifting Our World) also known as the Guardian Testing. The Guardian is the new standard in world security. If chosen, you will become one of the first Guardians defending the world from any impending danger that may arise. 414,857 will be chosen for the Guardian Testing. The First Screening will take place in Paladia, Horzex in two days time. Your testing number is 271,015. This hololetter will also serve as your navigational guide upon departure. Journey Well, NF #872940 P.S.You are not a nobody. He couldnt believe it. News of these special invites showing up randomly had spread a wave of mass hope across Lyre for Face Ranks and Number Ranks alike. His marla Zalea Tetron had received one just over a week ago, the only one at their third school to do so. And now he had one. He was not a nobody. He raced home daring to dream of the possibilities.