The Quest for Earth

By Michael HH Warren

The Quest for Earth continues the adventures of the four teenage heroes in their treacherous mission through space and time in this second book in the Treasure Chasers series. But are they ready to face harsher challenges than ever before?

It’s not about teams anymore, it’s about survival. As the boundaries disintegrate between the pairs, new relationships are built and new revelations are uncovered. But their newfound bond was never part of the plan, and the Praeceptori are watching closer than ever, pulling strings to reach their nefarious goals. Now that the rules are changing, will they be able to face The Calling and finally become Legends?

The Quest for Earth asks the following questions: how far would you go in order to ensure your own survival in a world where ethics and honor are no longer necessarily the directing guidelines of society? Which sacrifices and compromises are you prepared to make for the greater good? Which battles are you prepared to lose in order to win the war?

• Language: English
• Publisher: Michael HH Warren
• Release date: Jun 4, 2023
• ISBN: 9798215427637

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.

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The Quest for Earth

Treasure Chasers Book 2

Michael HH Warren

© Michael HH Warren 2023

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 Kathleen Bosman

Storyline Advisor: Tiaan van Niekerk

Contents

Glossary

Author's Note

Chapter One: Jimmick – TheCalling

Chapter Two: Arlena – The Retrieval

Chapter Three: Shannen – The Lamp

Chapter Four: Karleo – The Hammer

Chapter Five: Levente – The Sheikh and the Soldier

Chapter Six: Arlena II – The Boat Builder

Chapter Seven: Kyung – The Scrutiny

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.

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.

Cooperative Nations Initiative (CNI)

The restructured form of what was once the United Nations, formed towards the later part of the 21st century.

Dorm Leader

One of the inhabitants of ArtheNagal, who has reached The Age and is now in charge of the bedroom discipline in one of the dormitories.

Exèrcit de Llegendes (EDL)

Sister station of ArtheNagal. Literally means ‘Army of Legends’, referring to the army of soldiers made up of previous Legends and the rest of the inhabitants of ArtheNagal who have reached The Age. The regular inhabitants become the infantry, while the previous Legends serve as military leaders of the army.

The Four Societies

Concentrations of people on Earth in four major areas on the planet, namely Amazonian America, Sub-Saharan Africa, Oceania, and Scandinavia, where people were contained in three megacities and a few surrounding towns representing each of the larger societies. This was orchestrated by the CNI in order to keep peace on Earth.

Global Harmony

The end goal unto which the Rebel Forces have set their minds and which they are trying to bring about.

Hoverbikes

Motorcycle-like vehicles powered by thrusters that keeps them hovering above the ground. Very fast and powerful and useful to cover great distances over otherwise inaccessible terrain.

Jetto Dome

Alternatively known as The Dome, the arena where the game of Jetto is played on ArtheNagal. Also, a safe space in which all of the inhabitants of ArtheNagal can be protected from space attacks.

Kodakan Kheyabani

Afghan term referring to children who are homeless. Street children. Not necessarily orphans, although they could be. Pretty much left to fend for themselves.

The Last War

A global war during 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 18-year-old inhabitant on ArtheNagal who has been chosen to take part in a Quest in order to procure a treasure of some sort.

Mjolnir

The proper name for Thor’s legendary Hammer.

Nanobots

Microscopic robots engineered with artificial intelligence (Nanotech) to perform various functions autonomously or on command.

Observation Room or OR

The room on ArtheNagal that the Legends are being monitored from while they are 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 that run everything onboard the space station.

The Quest

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

Rebel Forces

A larger alliance of people who remained on Earth after the Last War, of which the Rogues are only a small faction, seeking proper reconstructed governance of the left-behind world.

Rodrigo Elessa

One of the Rogues’ most prominent young leaders. Ruthless and tremendously skilled in combat and parkour.

Rogues

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

Shield Maidens

Female Viking warriors led by Sigmundi, a female Viking.

Sicarii

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

The Scrutiny

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

Star-shooter

A fighter-type spacecraft, comparatively light and maneuverable to be used in space warfare.

Time Wedge

A round device, five inches in diameter, containing six wedges that can be pressed once each, 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 left.

Verdite

Scarce gemstone found only in the Far North-Eastern region of South Africa called Mpumalanga. Easily confused with emeralds and often sold as such in the Far East.

Dedication

For Kelly, Caden and Generation Z.

Author’s Note

The Quest for Earth continues the adventures of four teenagers from the futuristic space station, ArtheNagal, in the Treasure Chasers series. As our heroes continue on their various Quests, put forth by the ominous Praeceptori, they discover that the war they are being trained for might ask much more of them than they initially thought.

The Quest for Earth takes the reader from the ancient caves of Machu Picchu to fighting starships in outer space; from a small Viking village in 10th century Norway to the war-ridden outskirts of Iraq in 2095; where our heroes learn that the line between friend and foe can become very blurry once an agenda is changed.

The Quest for Earth asks the following questions: how far would you go in order to ensure your own survival in a world where ethics and honor are no longer necessarily the directing guidelines of society? Which sacrifices and compromises are you prepared to make for the greater good? Which battles are you prepared to lose in order to win the war?

Are they up to The Calling? They are the Hope of the Future. They are the True Humans.

Michael HH Warren

June 2023

Chapter One

Jimmick – The Calling

Lie down, silly!

Karleo groans and reluctantly falls back onto his pillows as Shannen gently pushes him against his chest.

But I’m tired of lying here. It’s been forever!

Shannen turns to look at me, How long has it been, Jim?

Twelve hours.

I get up from my bench at the edge of Karleo’s bed in the recovery ward of ArtheNagal’s medical wing and stretch my arms above my head, following it up with a big yawn.

Kyung said you’ll need to go for your first hyperbaric treatment at 10:00. After that, the Praeceptori want to address us.

And until then, you stay put, Shannen says as she pulls Karleo’s sheet over his chest and up to his chin.

He immediately shoves it down again, but winks at Shannen, I’m a bit hot, he coyly states.

Shannen bends closer to his face, Bit’s a bit of an understatement.

There’s a twinkle in Karleo’s eyes as Shannen kisses him on his lips. It lasts just a smidge longer than I am comfortable with, but I suppose it’s okay—they’ve just been through a major ordeal together. After all, I saw it happen.

The door to the rehabilitation room opens. It’s Kyung, accompanied by Arlena, looking refreshed and tough as ever after a proper night’s sleep—and probably some mild sedatives.

Kyung hesitates for a second when he sees Shannen and Karleo still staring into each other’s eyes.

Jim, Shannen, breakfast is ready, he says.

Arlena enters past him, folding her arms.

Please come and eat. I’m not going to sit by myself in that dining hall while those other losers stare at me.

Articulate as ever. Not to mention gorgeous. It is as if her newfound connection to her Peruvian roots has given her an undeniable glow. It might also be the fact that Levente is still trapped back there and that glow on her face is her determination to get him back.

Shannen gets up and straightens her top.

Karleo chuckles, Those losers! Save me some chow, will you, Jim? I’m starving.

Those ‘losers’ are your fellow people in the one place we can all call home. And they look up to you as this year’s Legends. Don’t be so dismissive to those of us who didn’t get the chance to visit Earth, I blurt out.

Ever since they got back, I can’t help but shake the feeling that something has changed irreversibly between us. It’s like I am somehow shut out, even though I watched over both teams the whole time they were gone. It’s not as if I don’t know what they’ve actually been through.

The others exchange quick looks. Shannen clears her throat.

Breakfast sounds excellent, thank you, Master Kyung. Come on, Jim. We’ll bring you something back, ba ... Karleo.

Blushing, Shannen spins around to the door.

Arlena grins, Were you going to call him ‘babe’ in front of us?

Shut up, Shannen says as she exits.

I follow her as Arlena smiles at Karleo, who simply shrugs his shoulders.

See you later, ‘babe’! Arlena mocks as she follows me out of the rehabilitation room.

Behind us, Kyung closes the door, with Karleo still grinning from ear to ear.

***

If Arlena thought they were going to escape the stares of the other kids in the dining hall, she was sadly mistaken.

The rest of the students can’t keep their eyes off of them. Arlena’s striking, cold looks make them turn their gawking eyes away very quickly, though.

I don’t think the others can be blamed for being curious. Usually, the Legends are chosen and then they disappear. We don’t see them