Time to Turn Back: The Truth of Our Universe

By Calvin Oliver Wilson

An unknown hero was born, Rakak. Nearly dying in the river where his mothers threw him, his mysterious rescuer helped prepare him for greatness. From a hated planet, Rakak begins a new life with a new name on Plenarius where he is adopted and raised as the only son of a elderly business man.

Pledging loyalty and love for his new home, he struggles as he sees God's hand against his people. From place to place, he knows though, that ultimately God is the one that has been with him his whole life.

Zaragiah's life like ours has struggles, dreams, failures, and successes. Hidden meanings are riddled into the places, people and things in this book. If you enjoyed reading of the unrelenting hero -Zaragiah from the Last Prophets Book: The Truth of Our Universe, you will surely love this book.

• Language: English
• Publisher: iUniverse
• Release date: Dec 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9781491785317

Calvin Oliver Wilson

Calvin O. Wilson has a Bachelor's degree in Bible and a minor in Biblical Languages. Following a Master's degree in Secondary Education and Educational Administration, he has previously published the book, The Last Prophet's Book: The Truth of Our Universe. After that time, he earned his Master's in Business Administration.

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Copyright © 2015 Calvin Oliver Wilson.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

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Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4917-8530-0 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4917-8531-7 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2015920437

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the Holy Bible, King James Version (Authorized Version). First published in 1611. Quoted from the KJV Classic Reference Bible, Copyright © 1983 by The Zondervan Corporation.

iUniverse rev. date: 12/18/2015

Contents

Note From The Author

Prologue

Chapter 1    Castaway

Chapter 2    Death Mission

Chapter 3    War March

Chapter 4    The Two Longest Days

Chapter 5    Darkness

Chapter 6    Intervention

Chapter 7    Saving The People

Chapter 8    The Fallout

Chapter 9    Burned

Chapter 10    Fair Judgment

Chapter 11    Growing Up

Chapter 12    Something Fishy

Chapter 13    Corruption Is Nine-Tenths Of The Law

Chapter 14    A Stitch In Time

Chapter 15    I Am Not The Man That I Used To Be

Chapter 16    The Pod People

Chapter 17    The Familiar

Chapter 18    Change Of Venue

Chapter 19    Suffocation

Chapter 20    Recap And Redo

Chapter 21    The Great Leap Forward

Chapter 22    Blood Feud

Chapter 23    Bad Examples

Chapter 24    Alarm

Chapter 25    Shame And Glory

Chapter 26    Simply Smart

Chapter 27    Twice The Better

Chapter 28    Remember Your Place

Chapter 29    Journey’s End

Chapter 30    Epilogue

Glossary

Bibliography

Note from the Author

Y ou will find the glossary, maps, question and answer, and timeline sections useful. Please remember as you read:

Proverbs 21:1 "The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD, as the rivers of water: he turneth it whithersoever he will." (KJV)

And again,

Psalms 127:1 "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." (KJV)

Prologue

I s Zaragiah the most blessed of those that have lived or will live? My life shows that the hand of God has touched me. I thought I was to die, to be scorned, and to be a reproach on my people. Nevertheless, I was brought up from nothing to being selected for a high position. I was asked by the kings to retell my life story from the beginning. I have found it necessary to write this story in two segments: one segment that I am writing will cover the time period up to just after the Hamartian invasion, and one that I intend to write after we repulse the Hamartians. Battle logs, documents, and my memory will be used for both segments.

CHAPTER 1

CASTAWAY

I stumbled backwards, my nose slashed and splayed across my cheek as Gerem and Bradus continued to stumble around and slash at each other in the middle of the Coliseum. I fell onto the dirty ground, anticipating that I would have to fight the winner. I pushed my good leg against the ground to try to move myself backwards to the wall. My broken leg throbbed with each push backwards.

The sound of distant thunder blended with the roar of the bloodthirsty crowd and the clanging of metal. At last, I reached the wall and let myself relax to watch the fight. Just at that moment, Gerem slew Bradus and turned my way. I caught the glimmer of his right eye, recessed behind his thick armored helmet. It appeared that soon I was to die, and there was nothing that I could do to stop it. For, it seemed by luck that I had survived as long as I had. This man, Gerem, a hero among the people, was a giant -nearly seven feet tall. Duty bound by my allegiance to the king, I knew that I must raise myself to fight this giant. I moved my hand to the handle of my sword and slowly moved the sword to a position so that I could stand.

The air seemed to turn very dry, and light popping noises came from the clouds and around me. The storm drew nearer and the crowd’s roar diminished to a light murmur. Then, a razor thin silver dish appeared with a loud pop about fifteen feet in front of me and about eight feet above the ground. A column of light appeared under the dish, and a strange man appeared! As he appeared, the body that had been there was cast aside. The dish disappeared; Gerem and the stranger were just a few feet from each other.

I could not see the stranger’s face, but oh, he could move quickly. He pulled a sword as Gerem lifted his. A high strike was blocked, and then a low strike was blocked. Then, the stranger whipped his sword through the air and with a twist of his arm, slapped Gerem hard against his helmet. In the blink of an eye, the stranger had cut Gerem to the ground. Then, with a popping sound and a flash of light, the stranger was gone. I blinked in astonishment as I stared at Gerem’s lifeless body.

Slowly, I rose to my feet and using the sword as a cane, I hobbled to the center of the Coliseum. Fallen gladiators were all around, and a silent crowd looked on at me. My good leg was firmly holding me up, and my left hand was across my stomach where I had been cut. I raised my sword high, I am the winner! I shouted. All at once, my strength gave way, and I collapsed onto the ground, blacking out.

*          *          *

With the pungent smell of rotting flesh, I awoke on a frigid slab of stone. I shivered, scrunching up on the stone table. A very old doctor and a young soldier stood at my side. Upon seeing me move, the young man shouted, Soldier, 00130, Report!

The doctor breathed a sigh and turned a bit. He shook his head and put his hand on the young soldier’s shoulder saying, This man was injured badly; he won’t die but give him a few days to recover. Then you can make a report. The doctor patted the young soldier on the shoulder and then looking down at me, stepped in front of the soldier. Soldier 00130, I have done my best to…

I will report this to the commander at once! interrupted the young soldier. He abruptly turned and marched out of the room.

The doctor looked up, and after the soldier had left his view, he turned back to look at me. Rakak, your father is very worried about you. The doctor placed a blanket over me and tucked the bottom of it under my legs.

I am soldier 00130, serving Reltih and the Namor Sovereignty.

The doctor, lowering himself, looked at my head and turned it. I am afraid that you must have been hit harder in the head than I had thought. Leaning over, he pulled his magnifier down, and removed a piece of glass from my forehead. The odds were against you; I did not think you would win. It has caused quite a stir among the people.

The stranger helped me. I stuttered, as I realized how cold I really felt.

Ah, your memory is returning, Rakak. The doctor smiled as he looked at me through his magnifier.

I am soldier 00130 serving Reltih and the Namor Sovereignty, and… I remember… nothing before the Coliseum.

I must be mistaken then, soldier. He moved his magnifier to the top of his head and pulled out a monocle through which he started squinting at me. He pointed, I am sure you will have a scar there. He lightly traced the line where I had been sliced. He stood up straight and casually looked at the table next to me where his supplies were located. I will try to get better accommodations for you, Rakak. For now, sleep. He turned off the lights.

I was confused for a moment by how quickly things were happening, and all I could say was, Yes, Sir. Why was it that I could only remember the fight-no matter how hard I tried? I let my brain relax. The next moment, my eyes closed, and the odor disappeared.

*          *          *

I awoke with a startle. When I sat up, the lights brightened. A nurse in a long white gown put her small computer aside and approached. Soldier 00130, you have been unconscious for nearly thirty hours. We thoroughly examined you but did not find anything else wrong with you in addition to the initial diagnosis. Gesturing, she continued, Your personal effects are being returned to you. As you already may have noticed you were dressed in your old uniform. I looked down at the brown pants and wood-colored boots that I wore. The doctor said that you may have suffered some memory loss. How is your head now?"

Aching… I remember the fight in the Coliseum but nothing before that, I responded.

You should focus on remembering now; you will soon have an audience before the king. The rumor is that winning that fight has not won you a full pardon, she said as she turned from adjusting the things on the short, wooden table next to my bed.

Pardon? I said slowly. What did I do? What am I accused of?

Treason! – You don’t remember? No, I suppose not. Then, she brought her face close and whispered, You would certainly be dead if not for your father’s friends. Straightening up, she put her hands to her sides, nodded her head and said, Now, I leave you to yourself. And with a wink, she closed the curtain and left the room.

I stood up, using the cane that had been leaning against the end of the bed. Hobbling over to the mirror, I studied the face that looked back at me. The soldier number tattooed across my wrinkled forehead matched the ones on my arms. The second thing that I noticed was the stitching on my face, from just above my lip to under my eye. There were also small punctures across my face, and there were older scars on my face, arms, and even on my hands. I felt my heart drop; I had no real memory of what had happened, and yet I had an impending audience before the king. I sat back down with the cane still in my hand, staring blankly at the tan colored floor. It was a tan marble rock, and then I noticed the pictures on the ceiling -all kinds of beautiful scenes of gardens and fountains.

I looked down at the cane and sighed. Then, I noticed that on the cane were carvings. I held the cane by the shaft to look at its head. A crest was there, my father’s crest. It was strange that, that was all I could remember. On the floor, just under the edge of my bed was a strap attached to a bag. Hunching down, I pulled an old leather bag out from under the bed. It smelled terrible and had been partly stained with blood. Pulling the bag open, the pungent smell of rotten apricots hit my nose. I poured its contents onto the top of my bed. A small tin of apricots, a proton sword, a small iron blade, a map of a northern kingdom, and a small notebook fell out.

On the front of the notebook was written Rakak, son of Kexue. As I opened the well-worn cover, a thin, short pen fell to the floor. I would have retrieved the pen, but the words on the page interested me more. This book held the life that I could not remember:

I love the mountains near my home; the range stretched for miles to the north. There was much to explore, to conquer, and to climb. I had been out on many an expedition when I was small. But, I have always returned home. My dad always cared for me, even when on important projects for the government. He would spend so much time in his lab, though. I would only be able to see the lab when the door was open, but he would never let me enter.

From the time I was nine until twelve years old, we both would travel out among the mountains. He would bring back a bag of rocks that he needed for his laboratory tests.

I am testing some new theories of metallurgy and technology, he would say every time I asked him about the rocks, but he would not say more.

Our house was about a quarter of a mile south of the beginning of the mountain range, and there was not another house around for maybe a hundred miles. He would always tell me to be strong and stand for what was right.

What is right, Papa? I asked him on occasion.

To follow the king, to obey the law, to follow your heart. In that order, he would answer. Be brave, no matter the situation. Stand your ground, and you will succeed.

I flipped a few pages through the book and began to read again:

Can I go out to play in the mountains? I asked Kelmote, one of Dad’s wives.

No, it is getting too dark. We don’t want to lose you out there.

The outside door swung open, Aboi, another of Dad’s wives, came in the house, weeping. What is wrong Mom? I asked. She held in her hand a large, gray burlap bag with small holes in it. Kelmote turned to see, and her face lost its color when she saw it.

Is that… She whispered.

Yes, Aboi whispered. The dog dragged it in. A small chunk of rock fell out of one of the holes to the floor. Kelmote tried to gather herself and then grabbed the bag and threw it hastily into the fireplace. I had never seen Kelmote so emotional.

I flipped a few pages in the journal. I looked at the words on the page, but they no longer made any sense. I rubbed my eyes, but I could not’ even figure out what the letters of the words were. I flipped back to where I had just read about Kelmote. No! I still could not read it. It was as if they were written in another language. I flipped rapidly around in the book trying to figure out what had happened.

Two soldiers came through the door, and I hastily tossed my bag and book on top of the swords and rose to salute them as they came through the curtain.

The king will have an audience with you now, said the taller of the two. As we entered the throne room, I marveled at the gold and marble floors, purple tapestries and gleaming silver shields on the wall. I went toward the throne intending to bow, but the soldiers shoved me to my knees and held me with their hands on my shoulders.

The king, who had been standing near a window, walked back to his throne and sat down. I would rightly see you dead, worthless coward. How is it that you can even show your face here? He leaned back slowly.

The hands on my shoulders grew tighter. My lord… I began.

He began to shout, I am more amazed than anyone because of your failures and yet here you are. Your father has used his friends among my staff and advisers to ask for your life. He paused a moment, before continuing, You were the winner in the Coliseum, and so I am obliged to spare your life, for now. He clasped his hands together and held them, drawing in a deep breath.

My heart trembled and my stomach grew tight and uneasy.

Now, I am a generous man, the king said, I love my country. I love my parents. You know that the prize of the arena is life. You also know that we have been growing our great country and solidifying our borders. In the past twenty years, we have taken Yapheh, Migdanah, Chaphets, Rah, and Yam. However, our northern borders are not yet secure. So, I have chosen you to complete a mission for your country, for your king. He extended his hand toward me, to let me speak.

My lord, I said, I would not hesitate to help.

Good, guards leave us, he gestured to the two on either side of me. After they left, the king motioned to me to stand. He walked slowly across the room. Yam-Zephon and Zephon are still needed to secure our borders. Unfortunately, both countries have witnessed the annihilation of the other countries around us and have built up their armies. Though, we have built up our armies as well, we need a real advantage. This is where you will be useful to king and country. We will pit these northern countries against each other. When they fight amongst themselves, we will claim their cities, treasures, and borders as our own. We will sweep them into the sea. He paused and smiled.

How…, I began.

He held up his palm at me. You will be given documents and will travel to Yam-Zephon and from there to Zephon, to the city of Shamem, the southern capital of Zephon. To all that you meet, you will be a visitor from the northern city of Rosh. Since the two kingdoms split fifty years ago, there has been considerable feuding between the two. You should expect some hostility. You will go to the High Tower, which is a diplomatic building. You will show your identification there.

The king moved from being next to his throne and picked up a case that was next to it and handed it to me. All the other information is in there -you can learn more on your way. However, go ahead and open the case."

I placed the case on the floor and opened it. Inside the top part of the case was a bundle of diplomatic papers. The bottom part of the case had a strange machine with dials and writings, which appeared to be a warning.

This machine is a bomb that will be used to start the war. You will set the dials to 3, 30, 9, and 17. When the bomb detonates, it will destroy the entire building. Once set, you will promptly leave the building and go to meet your contact in the city, who will give you further orders. Repeat the numbers to me for the bomb."

3, 30, 9, 17 I said deliberately.

Good, I believe you are ready to travel.

As my lord wishes, I responded.

CHAPTER 2

DEATH MISSION

I arrived in Rosh of Yam-Zephon and met my contact who filled me in on customs, accent differences, and gave me some of the currency used in each of the countries. My cover story was that I was visiting my brother in Zephon. I traveled on three different trains, and finally a taxi to arrive along Sither Street. This was about 10 blocks from my final destination. I had to make sure that I would not look too suspicious in arriving at the very door of my target.

I walked along the streets, which looked similar to those in Rosh. There were courthouses, brothels, food stores, and various hobby shops. Amongst them were scattered residences. It was near mid-day as I passed by a few houses toward the building.

Suddenly, I was grabbed, pulled into a house, and thrown against the wall by a rough man in a vested shirt. Looking up from where I had fallen, I saw that his face was hideously dirty, with a couple of missing teeth.

I knew that you were a visitor here. The way you are dressed and the way that you were looking around. I knew that you didn’t belong here. Hand over your money to me! the scoundrel said.

Sir, I am visiting my poor brother here, I began with my programmed lie. I have little money left.

I doubt you have little money; you are traveling and will later leave Shamem, right?

I stood up quickly so that I could more easily size up this brute.

I will tell you when to stand, he said, knocking my cap off, grabbing my hair, and jabbing me in the stomach with his fist. I crumpled to the floor again.

OK, I will give you my money. Please, sir, do not hurt me anymore. I slowly stood and feigned to reach into my pocket.

His hand was still out stretched to receive the money when I slid toward him and planted my fore-fist into the lower part of his ribcage; his xiphoid process snapped. He grabbed his stomach and fell to the floor. He kept on gasping as I reached into his pocket and took his coin purse. I made sure he was dead before propping him up in a chair to make it look like he died of natural causes. I poured some of his liqueur on his clothes, laid two bottles at his feet, and positioned one in his hand. Leaving his house, my heart was beating faster. As I went up the sidewalk, I dared not look back at that house. I continued for four more blocks until I arrived at High Tower, which was not really that tall in comparison to Namor Sovereign buildings.

I came here to destroy this building. I had just killed a man whose name I did not know, and I could not even remember my own father’s