The Patterns & Parallels Saga #3: Heart of Metalia

By CS Patra

The adventures with Donnie Vaughn and Olivia Mendoza continue into the next land, a world made of machines. When Donnie accidentally ends up in the world known as Metalia, he meets the young leader of the world, Lady Selene Sakai. She's a child yet brilliant and well-respected. Selene asks Donnie for help in trying to save her world and warns him not to go to the woods because of the monsters lurking there. When he finds out the truth about them, it changes everything that he has known.

Meanwhile, Olivia is trying to get used to her new role as a leader while trying to find Donnie. Before she can leave the Paperland, they are attacked by some strange creatures known as ice wasps. Unbeknownst to her, Donnie is also having problems with ice wasps and other issues in Metalia. Will this new challenge bring them closer together...or pull them further apart?

• Language: English
• Publisher: CS Patra
• Release date: Mar 28, 2016
• ISBN: 9781310825255

CS Patra

Grace Templeton has been writing for a long time and is the author of many series. Her books include the Operation: Genome series, The Reaper's Apprentices series, Cirque Macabre series, The Portman's Creamery Mysteries, Patterns and Parallels series, and the recently added Ghosts of Burning Inn. She currently lives in NC.

Book preview

Patterns and Parallels #3:

Heart of Metalia

CS Patra

Cover design by Wicked Book Covers

Editing by Ultra Editing

Formatting by exnihilo

For all the fans

Prologue

Dr. Donovan Vaughn had no idea how he ended up in this land.

In a way, he felt that his calculations were right, but this place was not the one he wanted to be in. What he had been looking for was a world of paper. What he ended up finding was a world of metal. He turned around a few times to make sure that he wasn’t imagining things. No, it truly was a world made out of metal. He took a few steps to make sure what he was stepping on was metal. It made the same sound as metal did. This was fascinating, yet not the place he wanted to be in.

I don’t believe it, he murmured. I don’t know how this happened. My calculations were perfect. Everything was perfect.

Looking around the metal world, he watched as lights blinked on and off in the area. This was the only place that he had seen that had electricity. No doubt they would probably have telephone and Internet in this place. If not, they were certainly further ahead than any other world.

Any other world. God, how did I end up here?

He tried to recall how he ended up in this situation. It all started when he got his new assistant, Olivia Mendoza. She had no experience with science whatsoever, but she was eager to learn everything. She was the first person that he told about his experiment with parallel universes. She was skeptical at first, but soon came to believe him. She turned into a believer when she received a message from Frostland on her car. Someone had called out to her for help. Then he was taken to the Frostland and kept prisoner there so Olivia had to go after him. After making some new friends, they led her straight to him and the two were relieved to see each other. In a way, Donnie found himself falling for her. It started well before he got to the Frostland, but the rescue just proved how much she meant to him.

Prior to coming here, Donnie had given instructions to his assistants, Layla and Vijay. He figured that he needed some allies in the real world so he decided to use them. They had been working with him for years and they knew about his desires. They knew that this was his pet project. After talking to them, they knew all about the other worlds and Donnie had made them true believers. He didn’t have enough actual proof for them, but they didn’t need it. They both trusted their boss and even helped him out with building his machines. Donnie was like a friend to them even though they still referred to him as Dr. Vaughn. They just felt strange when trying to address him with his first name. It didn’t matter how many times he told them that it was okay. They just couldn’t do it. He was still their boss.

He couldn’t get a hold of either Vijay or Layla at this moment. This wasn’t where he was supposed to be. He had done the calculations right, but this wasn’t the right world. He needed to get to a world made of paper. He would have taken a world made of frost. However, this was a metal world and it looked far more futuristic than his real world. He was fascinated by the look of the metal buildings and the strange robots walking around. For a second, he thought that he had made his way far into the distant future. Yet there were some people who weren’t dressed in futuristic garb. He tried to make eye contact with someone, but they kept walking past him. It was like he was invisible.

He looked down at his watch and saw that it was working again. It had stopped in the other two worlds, but it was working here. I don’t even understand. Does this world run on regular time?

Excuse me? He tried to grab a woman’s attention but she walked away. She was dressed in clothes that could have come straight from the late 19th century. This couldn’t have been the distant future. It was just another world. He tried to get someone to help him. Hey! I need help! Why aren’t any of you helping me?

A woman finally turned around and shrieked at him. Donnie tried to get her to stop, but she was screaming for guards to come. It wasn’t long before he was surrounded by people and men trying to pin him down. He tried to wiggle out, but the guards had him and they grabbed him by the arms. People were trying to get a good look at him and he tried to get a word out.

I swear I am not a criminal! He insisted. I just want to know where I am!

This creature practices witchcraft! Someone yelled.

Huh? Donnie was lost. No, I’m a scientist! I don’t believe in witchcraft! I don’t even know how to do witchcraft! Please let me go! I’m not trying to hurt anyone over here! I just want to know where I am!

I say we sentence him to death! Another person yelled. Stone him!

Burn him at the stake! Someone else added.

No! Donnie insisted. I swear I’m not trying to do anything! I wasn’t trying to attack anyone! I just want to know what world this is! I’m sorry to bother you, but this isn’t where I want to be! Please leave me alone!

That is enough! Let’s hear him out before you start throwing accusations!

This voice sounded very young to Donnie and everyone stopped talking over each other. He could feel someone loosening their grip, but they didn’t let him go. He winced, expecting to see someone powerful and larger than he was. It didn’t matter where he was. He just wanted to get out.

What is going on here? A young girl asked. What are you all doing?

We found him trespassing on the castle grounds, my lady, one of the guards began. I’m not sure what his purpose is, but he’s not of this world. He doesn’t come from Metalworld.

That’s right. I’m not from here, he admitted. All I asked is where I am. No one answered me.

Silence! You will only speak when the lady addresses you!

The lady?

I said silence!

Donnie fell quiet and could feel someone pushing something into his back. Another wrong move and he would be dead. He wasn’t trying to cause trouble nor did he want to be in Metalworld. His goal had been to get back to Paperland and find the woman he loved, Olivia Mendoza. He felt guilty that it was because of him that they were in this situation. Olivia was now trapped in one world and here he was in another. He stopped squirming around and decided to surrender to the guards. It was better to comply with than try to fight back.

In any other circumstance, Donnie would be in love with everything he was looking at. It was a world filled with technology and he wanted to see how it worked. He looked down in awe at the lights on the floor and watched as they lit up in different colors. He almost lost his mind at the sounds and movement within this world. If it weren’t for the fact that he was in the wrong world, he would be happy. It was exactly what he imagined his version of Heaven would be. Just as he was getting settled in, someone yelled at him to keep his hands in the air. He was now reminded that he was far from Olivia and had no idea what to do. What made things worse was that he was surrounded by people and robots that would kill him. Everyone had grown silent as someone approached him. He shuddered and waited for his doom. It was over. Everything he had worked for was over.

What shall we do with him, my lady? A guard asked. He does admit he isn’t from here.

So this is the stranger that came to my world, a young girl’s voice piped up. He doesn’t look like he could kill anything. I’m not sure why you all are standing up to him. He’s weak. In fact, I don’t think he could kill a fly. Release your grip on him. I believe he’s telling the truth that he just wants to know where he is.

Donnie opened his eyes to find himself staring a little girl that was dressed up in fancy clothes and being carried by a guard. She couldn’t have been more than ten years old, but she looked serious and cold. He wasn’t sure how he was supposed to react to her. If this was their leader, she had to be capable of a lot and she had power. The way everyone was bowing to her told him that she wasn’t a typical little girl. Her thick black hair was long and tied back into a bun. Her eyes were amber and large like a child’s, but her face was hardened like an adult’s. None of it made sense to him.

She eyed him for a second. What brings you over here, stranger?

Donnie wasn’t sure how to address her, but he tried his best. He decided to use what the guards used. My lady, I do apologize, but I meant to go to Paperland. I wasn’t trying to trespass on your grounds. My friend is back in Paperland and I was trying to get there. I didn’t mean to intrude. If could just be pointed in the right direction, I promise to leave as soon as possible.

The little girl’s cold expression disappeared and now she looked more like a child. Her face lit up with delight. Oh, it’s you! I wasn’t expecting to see you! I heard about travelers in another world but you were in Paperland the last time.

Yes, my lady! I was trying to get there, but I was wrong in my calculations. I’m not entirely sure how this happened. The last thing I remember is talking to my friends back in my world. I want to get in touch with them but I don’t know how, he bowed to her. I’m so sorry about all this. I never meant to disturb you and everyone else in this world. I just wanted to know where I was so I could leave as soon as possible.

No, it’s all right. Everyone back down. He is not a threat. Let him go now, she motioned the guards to back away. I know you mean no harm. I hate to give you bad news, but Paperland isn’t that close. You will be spending days and nights just trying to get there on foot. Even if you travel by our trains, it will take you a week.

Thank you, my lady, Donnie sighed. Unfortunately, that doesn’t help me much. I’m sure you’ve heard about what happened in Frostland.

Of course I have. I’m worried how our world is going to fare, she said, looking him over. Well, I think I can help you out. I know ways around this world, stranger.

Donovan Vaughn, he introduced himself, bowing again. People call me Donnie.

Welcome to Metalia, Donnie. It’s also known Metalworld, the girl motioned the guard holding her to put her down. You can stay here for as long as you need and I will help you get to Paperland as fast as possible. As long as Lady Selene Sakai is breathing, no harm will fall upon you.

Thank you, Lady Sakai. I promise I will not be any trouble, he said. Is there a place I can stay for the night at least? It doesn’t have to be anything big or fancy, just a small place to sleep will do.

Nonsense! You are a guest in our world and you should be treated well! Come to my castle. You can just refer to me as ‘lady’ by the way. You don’t need to use my full name, Selene suggested. You can tell me all about your adventures there.

You don’t have to do that, my lady.

I insist on doing it! Now come with me! She held the hand of one of the guards and they led Donnie down the road. More guards surrounded him and he tried not to do anything out of line. This was already a mess and he had managed to get on Selene’s good side. He didn’t want to anger her. She might have been a kid, but she had everyone wrapped around her small hands. Anything she wanted would happen.

As they were walking, Donnie got a better look at her. She was so small, but walked like she owned the world. Her clothes were the type of things that members of the royal family would wear. What stood out the most were her feet. They looked like they had been bound and stuffed into her shoes. He had heard about leg-binding before, but this was the first time he saw it. It was making him cringe to see her move around like this. She didn’t look uncomfortable, but could imagine just how they got her into those shoes. He didn’t know why no one was carrying her now. She was so tiny that he could pick her up with one arm.

He tried to remember everything that he learned about foot-binding. In China, it had been done to prevent a girl’s growth. They were considered a sign of beauty, but they did lead to issues later in life. He had seen what these feet looked like once the bindings were taken off and it wasn’t a pretty picture. He didn’t know why anyone would bind this girl’s feet. He didn’t want to tell her what to do, but he knew what her feet would be like when she was older. He was worried that the poor thing would probably never be able to walk normally in shoes.

After a few minutes, they found themselves in front of a giant metal castle. Lady Sakai stepped to the side and pointed to it. We are here!

Donnie’s eyes widened at how large and bright this castle was. It looked like a typical castle with the exception of it being made of metal. The lights were flashing and it made all kinds of sounds. This was definitely what he had envisioned Heaven to be like. As he watched the door open, he took a good look at everything. Gingerly, he touched a wall and saw the lights change when his hand pressed on it. It brought a smile to his face and he followed everyone inside.

"I do apologize for how