The Four Legends

By Michael HH Warren

The Four Legends is a fast-paced futuristic novel set in 2095 that explores what it means to be part of the human race. Being chosen as a Legend on the Extra-Terrestrial Living Station is a dream come true for every teenager coming of age. The story follows four teenagers on a Quest to retrieve valuable relics from different countries on Earth via space and time travel, as they seek to claim their status as Legends. The teenagers have to face ominous rain forests, mysterious South American temples, the harsh African environment and treacherous guides to find what they are looking for. However, this will not come without sacrifice. And from far away, the Praeceptori, their Teachers, are watching, planning ... and possibly using them for their own, far more disturbing goals.

The Four Legends propels us into a journey of discovering Earth, discovering self and discovering that the only way to survive is through real connection with one another.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael HH Warren
• Release date: Apr 18, 2017
• ISBN: 9781370603497

Michael HH Warren

Michael HH Warren began writing about his life during the South African winter of 2009. Driven by a strong desire to tell his story, what began as a creative outlet would eventually become his first book, In The Name Of God. The writing bug has bitten, and Michael has since published several novels. A far cry from his memoir, these books are aimed at teens/young adults who represent Generation Z (GenZ). Still having a passion for the world of non-fiction, Michael has several ideas presently evolving into draft manuscripts. He lives with his wife, two children and three Jack Russells.

Book preview

The Four Legends

Treasure Chasers Book 1

Michael HH Warren

© Michael HH Warren 2017

www.generationz-books.com

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the author. Brief excerpts may be cited in book reviews, provided the narrative quoted is verbatim and due credit is given by way of the book title and name of author.

This is unquestionably a work of fiction, with little basis in fact or certainty in present day reality, but perhaps more so by 2095. For this reason, kindly accept that no apologies will be forthcoming for any offended sensitivities.

Names, characters, places, incidents, and events are products of the author’s imagination and therefore used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual persons, living or dead, or having the seemingly impossible likelihood of imitating any actual incident or event, is purely coincidental. Should any artifact, business, event, incident, institution, name, or place be found to be evident and occur in public domain source documents and resource repositories, then accept that they are true to life and therefore factual.

Book design by Leila Summers

Edited by Carol Kay and Kathleen Bosman

Storyline Advisor: Tiaan van Niekerk

Contents

Glossary

Author's Note

Chapter One: Jimmick

Chapter Two: Karleo

Chapter Three: Arlena

Chapter Four: Shannen

Chapter Five: Levente

Chapter Six: Karleo II

Chapter Seven: Kyung

Acknowledgments

Glossary

ArtheNagal

The name of an Extra-Terrestrial Living Station, or space station, where, since the year 2095, unborn children from the world over are given life through laboratory fertilization, also known as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and brought up to be part of a civilization, where everyone can truly be equal―the True Humans who will bring order and restoration to a world that has fallen into chaos.

Autshumao

Historical figure also known as Harry die Strandloper (Harry the Beach-walker) who interacted with Dutch colonial administrator Jan van Riebeeck when he arrived at the Cape of Good Hope in 1652.

The Age

An inhabitant of ArtheNagal has reached The Age when he or she turns eighteen years old.

The Calling

This is the real purpose that The Four Legends are to be prepared for.

Jetto

A game played inside a huge glass dome, with a court layout similar to field hockey. Players are equipped with jetpacks that allow them to fly, taking the play into the air instead of just staying on the ground. The rules are very similar to those of field hockey and lacrosse.

Jetto Dome

Also known as The Dome. The arena where the game of Jetto is played.

Jetto Stick

A handheld stick or club used to hit a Jetto-puck around the Dome and into the goal net.

The Last War

A global war in Earth’s history that had devastating effects on a much larger scale than any before it, leaving the planet in ruins, but not completely uninhabitable.

Legend

An eighteen-year-old inhabitant on ArtheNagal chosen to take part in a Quest to procure a previously unknown treasure.

Lux Armiger

Translated from Latin, a combination of words meaning light and armor, or Light-Bearers. On ArtheNagal, it refers to one of the factions into which the children are divided.

Observation Room or OR

The room on ArtheNagal from which the Legends are monitored while on their Quests.

Praeceptori

Translated from the Latin word meaning master or teacher. On ArtheNagal, the Praeceptori refers to the council of twelve men and women who run everything onboard the space station.

The Quest

A journey the Legends undertake in teams of two, during which they must face unknown dangers and retrieve treasure. This is done to prepare the Legends for The Calling.

Rogues

The people who survived the Last War on Earth remained there and now must fend for themselves, often reverting to martial law to prolong their own survival.

Sicarii

Translated from the Latin word meaning assassins or Dagger-Warriors. On ArtheNagal, it refers to one of the factions the children are divided into.

Spacetime

The concept of Spacetime used in this book stems from the BBC Earth program Forces of Nature: Professor Brian Cox follows the Earth’s epic journey through space 2/4.

Simply put, the whole universe is moving along in Spacetime where no moment or event in space is ever repeated at the same place again, e.g., when the Earth moves through space and time, it will always move to a new point along its trajectory. As the Earth circles the sun—the Earth moves along on a type of plane, as does everything in the universe, but is never static and never, in the future, meets the exact place it was previously at again. When we remember our past, we only have our memories, even though we can sit in a field and think we are at the same spot where we experienced something in the past, but that spot is never actually in the same spot it was, relative to the moving forward in time of the Earth and everything else.

Therefore, it is theoretically possible to visit the past and not disturb the present or future. If we could get to that exact place when something happened in our past, along the Earth’s historical trajectory or plane, we could go back in time.

[DISCLAIMER: this theory above assumes a spinning globe earth, or heliocentric model, where the sun is the center of our solar system. However, if our earth is geocentric, and the center of our solar system is a stationary flat earth, having a dome or firmament above us, then this book is truly beyond the realm of science fiction]

The Scrutiny

The evaluation of the successes and failures of the Legends after they return from their Quests.

Time Wedge

A round device, five inches in diameter, containing six wedges. Each can be pressed once, allowing the person holding the device to travel to a specific time and place, and back again to the original time and place from whence they’ve come.

Dedication

For Kelly, Caden, and Generation Z.

Author’s Note

The Four Legends (Treasure Chasers Book 1) is a fast-paced futuristic novel set in 2095 that explores what it means to be part of humanity. While technology offers human civilization the opportunity to progress in great strides, including ever advancing AI (artificial intelligence), we should not substitute it for authentic human connection.

The Four Legends postulates that while it may be technologically possible for humans to survive in places other than Earth, we are innately connected to it. Our sense of identity is deeply rooted in our sense of place.

The story follows The Four Legends on their Quests, as they face unknown dangers and challenges that test their ability to retrieve various treasures and hold together as a group, to prepare them for The Calling. They are the Hope of the Future. They are the True Humans.

Note: I have written this series in the first person, present tense to create a sense of events happening in real time. Hopefully, the reader will feel an immediate connection to each of the character’s points of view, to observe their experiential and emotional transformations as they unfold.

Michael HH Warren

May 2017

Chapter One

Jimmick

Whoom! Both halves of the glass Jetto Dome start to close, high above the players. Down on the floor, I can see the determination in Karleo’s eyes.

I smile.

Although he’s never said it out loud, I know he thirsts to become a Legend. He was born to lead.

Behind him, the nine other players, who make up Lux Armiger’s team, flank out in a V-shape, with the goalkeeper securing the goal net. Directly opposite him, Levente and his Sicarii team take their positions, with the Jetto puck hovering in the air in front of Levente’s handheld Jetto stick.

With a loud hiss, the Dome’s gravitational fields switch off and the players slowly rise. A long Siren wails throughout the stadium.

It’s on!

***

Today’s impending arrival has created a stir amongst those on ArtheNagal who have reached The Age, especially the guys. It’s particularly exhilarating for Karleo, the captain of Lux Armiger’s Jetto team.

Karleo is my closest and unlikeliest friend. He is tall, muscular, and robust, with hands that could possibly cover my entire head.

I, Jimmick, am the complete opposite of him. That’s why I’m sitting in the technical booth today and not out on the field, geared up with all the metaphorical bells and whistles. Jetto requires a player to don a jetpack, helmet, protective elbow, and knee pads incorporated into a mildly protective Jetto suit, a mouthguard, and most importantly―a handheld Jetto stick.

Jetto wasn’t designed for us smaller, less tactical guys. The others possess a wide range of judicious skills that favor them in a game of Jetto: Karleo is brutally strong, Arlena, cunning; you never know what you’re going to get with Shannen ‘cause she’s incredibly versatile, and speed … speed should be synonymous with Levente.

Levente, Sicarii’s captain, is an impeccable athlete, and although not as tall as Karleo, he’s a bit leaner and a lot faster than you would expect. I always enjoy watching them play against each other, because, without fail, the game becomes super intense.

This year things are going to be different though. When you reach The Age, the genders are blended. This is another reason why the attendance is stellar. The Praeceptori want all the children to view this spectacle. We are, after all, the tenth group to have reached The Age. Plus, these players can play some exhilarating Jetto.

***

The stands are literally packed to the rafters, as always. Pretty much everybody in the entire ArtheNagal is here. The stands are filled according to ascending age, with the youngest sitting at the bottom and the older kids at the top. As everyone discusses his or her favorite players, the excitement builds up electrically, like a Mexican Wave, around the stadium.

This marks the only time each year that all the houses attend the same sporting event. Usually, the separate year groups will only attend their peers’ events, whether sports, or musical and theater events on the Grand Stage. But this―this is something special, and the anticipation in the air is almost palpable.

The Praeceptori make up our leaders and teachers. For as long as I can remember, they have made it known that reaching The Age is a big deal for our year group. We were taught by the Praeceptori that in the past, people were born on separate days during the course of the year, but not here on ArtheNagal.

Here we are all born on the same day, together turning one year older on the same day each year.

In the past, back on Earth, birthdays were a reason for children to celebrate with decorated cakes