Discovery

By Callum Macdonald
High Tech High Media Arts
2230 Truxtun Road, 3rd Floor
San Diego, CA 92106
Discovery
Volume 1 -- Spring 2014
Copyright 2014 High Tech High Media Arts
hightechhigh.org/schools/HTHMA
All rights reserved - no part of this book may be reproduced
without permission from the publisher.
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Dedicated to those who read this book
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Table of Contents
Chapter 1 Pg. 5
Chapter 2 Pg. 7
Chapter 3 Pg. 11
Chapter 4 Pg. 14
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5
1
D
ucked behind the table propped up against
the wooden cabin walls beneath a window,
was the only cover from a barrage of gunre. These were
no ordinary guns, however; as the shots blew holes through
the wall, they created re and sparks. They werent bullets
coming out of the gun, they were buzzing, electric blue
pulses of small beams. They were vibrating beams of heat,
and they could pierce anything. Their only restriction was
distance and objects in the way.
RJ was doing what he could to block the lasers and
was waiting till they ceased. When a gap of peace opened,
he took out his gun and red back. There were shots com-
ing from behind the trees all surrounding his cabin. Several
stopped when he shot in their direction. The dirt cascaded
downwards as the bodies hit the forest oor. Still, from
several directions, blue bolts pierced his wooden cabin
walls. Suddenly the door exploded open in ames and the
table slammed him back. He ew against the back wall into
his replace and cracked the back of his skull on the stone
edges. Then darkness.
~
Awakening to the smell of steaming venison, then,
wincing at a violent pain in his wrists and a throbbing pulse
in the back of his head, Rj quickly shufed into reality. He
couldnt move from his oating position and realized he
was hanging by his wrists from the roof of a poor looking,
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oddly built, wooden house. Slowly rotating from his ma-
neuvers to escape, he scanned the room and saw an angry
man with a hat covering his greasy hair. There was a gun
across his lap and he stared at him with a look that was ter-
rifying. To his left there was a weak wooden door that sat
between two panes of glass with views of a vast desert. He
saw the wooden plank walls running across the entirety of
the square cabin until they hit the cooking venison, in the
large replace to his right.
He heard the wooden boards above him creak, the
rope was weakening. He looked up and heard a loud snap,
collapsed, and smacked the oor face rst. The rope hold-
ing him up fell behind him, and the man sitting in the chair
was up as quickly as he had hit the oor. He had his rie
pointed at RJ. Taking a second to realize what just hap-
pened, RJ froze in place on the oor and noticed a drop of
blood from where his forehead had hit. The man was just
standing there and pointing his gun. He could tell that the
man was unsure of what to do - he was obviously not the
leader - but his nger was nearing the trigger. The thought
of death was something RJ had never feared before. He was
known as the greatest gunslinger in the West, with a rare
gun that few had, he nicknamed his Big Iron. The greasy-
haired mans nger pulled the trigger.
Waiting for a fading light, RJ lay with his eyes open
to capture his last scene of life, his arms in front of his face
as instinct to block the gunre. Nothing happened. The
trigger was pulled and the loud shocking sound was made,
but he was still alive. He looked up and lowered his arms,
the man was gone, and his gun lay on the oor. There was a
hole in the wall behind where his Grim Reaper would have
stood, and a small burning hole beside it. Looking around
the room expecting to nd out what had happened, Rj saw
nothing. Just an empty house.

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2
A
s he rose from the oor with weak knees, his
pale ngers skimmed lightly over the back of
his head where the skin and skull had parted. He winced
at even the gentlest touch, for a violent sting would pulse
through his brain. He scanned the room looking for the
cause of the damage. One thought popped into his ach-
ing brain; the thought that he had done it. Could that be
though? How could he have possibly done it? It probably
wasnt him though, that doesnt make sense.
There was a crackling at the window, he saw a
sunken face quickly revolve and dart out of sight. He took
his rst step towards the door to chase the man, however,
he collapsed instantly and felt an agonizing rip in his left
leg. It must have been injured during the explosion, or
when he fell from the rope. Cringing at the pain, but in
need of an explanation, RJs curiosity brought him to his
feet. Stumbling to the door he managed to collapse over the
doorknob. He twisted and knocked open the door as his leg
gave way again. Lifting himself up once more with the help
of the window frame, he looked into the light.
A skinny looking young man was running down the
path. RJ called out to him Hey, you! Kid!
The boy looked back for a second and saw the
scary, damaged man, standing in the doorway. Realising
the kids lack of enthusiasm to respond, he yelled again I
wont hurt you, I just need to know what happened; annnnd
maybe get a little help carving a walking stick.
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Looking slightly more open, the child took slow steps
towards RJ. RJ responded with a smile, then grimaced at
the pain it caused. The child paused for a moment, seeing
the facial expression on the cowboys face. After a while of
contemplation, the young man continued to him.
RJ was somewhat surprised that the boy would
come back; especially after seeing what had happened.
When the child was a few feet beyond arms reach, he
stopped. He said, Sir, I saw what you did in there. You
blew that man away.
I did what? said RJ.
You closed your eyes and right as he pulled the
trigger, blue light shot out of your hands and he ew out of
the cabin. Right through the wall too!
You mean I caused that hole?
Yessir said the boy.
Out of curiosity, RJ put his right hand up to his eyes
and scanned the dirty esh for any evidence of this. They
look like they normally do, he thought. Suddenly a thought
came to mind, his gun. Big Iron, where was it? Hold on a
sec said RJ.
He went inside the cabin and glanced around the
room. In the corner beside where the man with the rie had
sat, a belt lay with his gun in its dark leather holster. Taking
precious steps considering his injuries, he moved towards
the gun. Kneeling down with his hand out to grab it, it ew
into his hand. Startled, RJ fell backwards, dropping the belt
beside him. Confused, he sat up and looked down at his
gun, trying to understand what just happened. He reached
for it again, it ew into his hand, this time, less surprised
but still awestruck, he caught it just ne. RJ stood up and
put his belt through loops in his tattered, dark grey pants.
Satised to have Big Iron at his side again, he felt
better all around. Rotating his head to scan the room, he
sought out another item to see if the same thing would hap-
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pen when he reached for it. There, on the ground, the mans
rie. He reached for it, it ew into his hand almost instant-
ly. RJ then dropped it and tried again with his other hand,
he looked at the rope, reached, and it comfortably landed in
his hand. Telekinesis; thats what it was.
If he could do this maybe he could do the oppo-
site, he thought. He looked at the rie in his left hand and
thought about pushing it away, it shot out of his hand and
hit the cabin wall so hard it cracked the wood. RJs brain
lit up with possibilities, so many things he could do with
this power. Now was not the time to play though, he had a
job to do. He rubbed his bloodshot eyes to make sure real-
ity was not a hallucination. Nothing changed; the pressure
and twisting of his hands did not wake him up from what
should have clearly been unconsciousness.
He took steps towards the door and upon reaching
the porch, he could see that the child was gone. He looked
out at the vast expanse of desert surrounding the house,
where mountains crowded together in the distance. Dead
bushes were drizzled here and there in cliques. The slightly
tan road that lead towards the setting sun, was hardly vis-
ible against the slightly darker colored sand surrounding it.
The kid could not have gone far, RJ looked for his trail but
there were no footsteps to be found. HIs feet rocked against
the crunching sand as he looked for a means to get to the
nearest town.
A sudden shuddering breath rang through his ears,
instinctively, he pulled out BIg Iron and leaned up against
the house as cover. Looking around the corner cautiously,
he saw something he did not expect. There was a beauti-
ful brown horse, it was tethered to a thick wooden pole,
suspended in air by two of its siblings. Without a second
thought he untethered the reins and swung himself onto the
beast. He kicked into the horse with the the spurs on his
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boots and bolted down the trail.
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3
A
white glowing circle lifted into the sky making
the desert have an eerie glow. The cacti and
bushes left shadows that looked like demon hands. It was
late, RJ decided to set up camp, it didnt take long given
that he had nothing more than the clothes on his back, a hat
and a horse. Laying his hat on the ground as a pillow, and
tying the horses reins to a cactus, were the last moments of
awareness he had before darkness enveloped him and his
mind.
A crackle woke him, he found himself staring up at
a dirty looking man. He raised his right hand, thought about
his gun and aimed it directly at the strangers surprised face.
Instantly, the man raised both hands, obviously scared and
startled by the gun ying from RJs holster to his hand in
half a second. Lifting himself to his feet, RJ kept the gun
pointing at the man.
What are you doing?
I... Uh... I What did you just do with your gun?
WHAT ARE YOU DOING? RJ put the gun up
against the mans head.
Whoa man! Dont shoot! I was here to you
know take your stuff.
You were here to rob me?
...Yeah said the robber hesitantly.
Let me see your gun
The man pulled the gun from his holster
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Slowly! said RJ quickly.
Slower than before, the robber removed the gun and
handed it handle rst to RJ. He took the gun and looked at
it while holding Big Iron to the strangers head. It was a gun
like his, one that the man he was looking for had. This man
must be part of Eddys crew. Rj didnt know what Eddy
looked like, he just knew that he killed his mother, his fa-
ther and his brother. He knew that Eddy was the leader of a
gang of outlaws who found a way to create guns that shoot
lasers.
Whats your name? Growled RJ
Herald..
Do you know Eddy?
How do you kn-
Do you know Eddy!? He made these guns!
Yes! Yeah, Yeah I do.
Take me to him, NOW!
Why would I do that?
RJ grabbed Heralds wrist and twisted him over,
he threw the gun in the air, willed it back into his hand so
the butt of the gun was facing outwards and clenched it
hard as he swung the gun into the cushion that was Heralds
stomach. He swung his arm three times, each time weak-
ening Heralds stance. The last hit made him drop and hit
the oor, still holding onto Heralds wrist as he was on his
knees, RJ put the gun up to the red imprinted ring on the
robbers forehead.
Now, where is Eddy?
That way. Choked Herald and he pointed to a
nearby mountain. You need to go to that mountain he
said as he coughed. There is a rock blocking a cave, Its
easy to move.
Thanks said RJ with a smile. He pulled the
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trigger. RJ dropped the mans gun and went over to his
horse who didnt seem to mind the violence, he spurred it
and jolted towards the mountain.
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4
T
he rapid beating of horse hooves against the
sandy desert oor was soothing. The ground
wizzed by while the horse drove its heavy heels downwards
and propelled the both of them forward with insane speed.
A wide stone came into view as RJ neared the mountain.
He hopped off the horse and walked up to the stone ready
for whatever popped out, he pushed the rock. It didnt
move. He tried again, nothing. The robber lied, this was not
easy.
Pacing, contemplating a solution, he remembered,
telekinesis. RJ walked up to the rock and put both hands up
and fell over in pain. He realized he had forgotten about his
injuries, he was so caught up with all the action and adrena-
line that he had completely blanked. But now was a bad
time for the pain to come back, he was about to face Eddy.
With much eagerness and revengefulness in his heart he
lifted upwards once again and aimed both palms at the rock
and pushed as hard as he could with his thoughts. The rock
ew away and disappeared into the distance, like a spark in
the air.
The cave was dark but in the distance there was an
orange light, an orange glow. RJ walked towards the light
with Big Iron out. He could hear his breath in the moist,
cold cave air, and the tap of his footsteps on the stone oor.
It looked like a hideout, with the decorations and paintings
on the sides of the cave walls, the random junk spewed
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about and group of men huddled by the light. The moment
he noticed them, they noticed him. They all stood up and
started shooting, RJ put up his left hand while holding Big
Iron in his right, he ung all their guns out of their hands.
The look on their faces was priceless as RJ shot the guns
out of midair as they were being ung away.
Each and every one of them put up their hands. RJ
yelled Which one of you is Eddy?
Eddy is over there said the biggest one as he
pointed down a pathway.
RJ not wanting any of them to be more of problem,
decided to just stop their breathing with his gun. As simple
as that, he pulled the trigger ve times and each one hit the
oor with an echoing thump. He walked to the pathway,
and looked down the hallway. At the end of path, he saw a
child. Not just any child, the kid who had been at the cabin.
The kid who had told him what had happened.
Hesitating to pull the trigger, RJs arm shook. He
wasnt sure if that was Eddy, he wasnt sure he should
shoot. Then a voice came from the end of the hall. Hi, Im
Eddy. The child put up his right hand, Brother, Im afraid
that this is the rst and last time you will see me. I cannot
let you have the familys telekinetic power. But before you
die, I will let you ask a question.
Why did I get these powers and why did you kill
mom?
Thats two questions, I will answer only one. You
got these powers when you had a near death experience,
and only our family can obtain them. Now, goodbye.
Eddy shot a wave of power at RJ, it ung him off his feet
and up against the stone cave wall. RJ instantly collapsed.
The End
Callum Macdonald