Justin's Quest: Homeward Path

By K.J. Schmutz

Justin learns the true consequences of the actions of the Gillenium Council, with loss of his friends, family, and girlfriend, Nicole. He must make the ultimate sacrifice to save his world, now with a ragtag group of heroes, to stop the Gillenium Council from gaining galactic domination. Will he be able to make the right choice? Will he be able

• Language: English
• Publisher: 2020 LITERARY GROUP LLC
• Release date: May 6, 2024
• ISBN: 9781964488004

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Justin’s Quest: Homeward Path

K.J. SCHMUTZ

Justin’s Quest: Homeward Path

Copyright © 2024 by K.J. Schmutz

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the author, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other non-commercial uses permitted by copyright law.

ISBN

978-1-962868-99-0 (Paperback)

978-1-964488-00-4 (eBook)

Table of Contents

Prologue:

Chapter 1A Bed Hard as a Rock

Chapter 2Returning to the Station

Chapter 3Station Sweet Station

Chapter 4Pursuit of New Requites

Chapter 5How to Deal with a Traitor

Chapter 6The Call of the Hazzar

Chapter 7The Decision

Chapter 8Demons and Angels

Chapter 9Streaching the Truth

Chapter 10Unfinished

Chapter 11The Scrapping

Chapter 12Friend or Foe

Chapter 13Cowards and Commanders

Chapter 14Mission without a Claw

Chapter 15Awaiting Capture

Chapter 16Facing Sir Yid

Chapter 17The Past

Chapter 18The Past

Prologue:

Far across the Galaxy, every space bearing race from the being of time has tried to traverse the length and breadth of space as fast as possible. The Canero race conquered the challenge with the Matter Transporter Transmitter, or known as the M.T.T. The M.T.T. was a technological marvel that was collaboration between two races: the Canero race and Ozmoorins race who join together to create the coveted M.T.T. The price for creating the M.T.T. cost the head scientist Kybento’s life, but no one knows for sure if the creator is still alive inside the machine, it is only speculated or rumored he is.

Justin a young man who was born, and raised on Mars. Justin with many of his friends had decided to venture to Earth, now a dead planet, this is where his friends first meet many years before. Many people speculated that it was mankind’s doing that brought about the death of Earth, and that there only alternative was to colonize other planets and heavenly bodies in our solar system, for every attempt the restore the Earths ability to sustain life failed.

Justin was fatally injured, and his body was keep in a cryo storage until the natural healing and nanites could restore the body, nearly two hundred years later, Justin emerged. Now longing to return before he was injured, was expelled into open space, unprotected, and lifeless.

CHAPTER ONE:

A Bed Hard as a Rock

Oh, did I over sleep, or what… Okay, I didn’t expect this. Justin said lifting his head seeing unfamiliar surroundings of stone, as mildew and water trickled down some of the crack, he could smell the dampness and the sweet aroma of blooming planet life.

Oh no, not again, I think I am in another medical room. Justin thought.

Don’t be alarmed, you are safe. Several voices said in Justin’s mind. Justin couldn’t help but notice that the voices that spoke to him melodiously changed from one to the other, no pause, just went one as one continues being, but many. Justin then thought to himself, I heard of people finishing each other’s sentences, but this beats them all.

Unit forty-two, is that…, oh, no that’s right, I… I had already transferred its programing to another unit back in the docking bay. Oh introductions are in order, remember polite teachings from school. Justin muttered to himself. Hello, I am Justin I am a human, whose there? Justin said with curiosity.

We are here Justin. I am Kal’mian. I am Vowner. And I am Ha’vowie. The voices spoke again.

The room was dimly lit; Justin noticed there was no light source, but he could see the room was illuminated, and the surroundings walls appeared to be carved neatly out of stone. The air was humid, filled with a light mist that made Justin sweat, moss, algae and some green plants grew wild in every corner of the room. All of the doors, chairs, and tables were decoratively cut out of rock. The bed was of a soft material but was still some sort of stone, Justin thought it was pure pummel stone.

Justin saw three piles of what appeared to be shapeless mass of clay each of different colours lined the side of the bed, and were moving as they congregated. Justin began to panic when one of the masses slowly turned towards him; the top part of the mass turned up towards him as he laid in the medical bed, and move closer to the head of the bed. Justin curled in fear as the mass drew closer and closer as what could only be described as an arm reached out.

What are you? Justin asked.

We are the Ozmoorins. The three distinctive voices said in Justin’s head.

Justin took a moment for this to sink in. Justin’s eye grew wide as he tilted his head and a light headedness came over as he tightly closed his eyes and lowered his head, followed with pain. Justin held his hands to his head covering his temples. A flash came across his mind now remembering that he was expelled out of the Canero Manix station, the upper hatch closing in fast, getting larger and large, then nothing. I was… I was trying to move a small transport from one bay to another bay, but my orb got in the way, I must have collided with the controls.

Oh… Justin said as his eyes rolled back as he fell back into the bed, and fainted, his unconscious body began to convulse. A flickering pattern of clothing spread across Justin’s shaking and trembling body, now looking like a cross patch quilt with exo-suit, ant claws, one bear leg, and a fancy paint suit and dress shoe on the other leg, and other projected forms that Justin has worn through his life quickly covered his body until they became a featureless blur. The flickering pattern flashed faster and faster across Justin’s body until it was bright white.

Ten minutes had passed before the light intensity began to decrease across his now still body, Justin’s skin was still radiant, and the brightness stirred Justin, waking him. Rolling over he sat up on the slab bed, seeing his arm glowing, trying to allude the grogginess of passing out, and Justin never experienced that before, and was worried for what could it have meant, but tried to push it to the back of his mind so he might be alert.

Justin raised his hand. His arm now showed that that his health level was at one hundred percent, besides being astonished that he was feeling better, and he was at full health, he saw that there was a countdown timer, showing 99:97:85:00. The last two digits spun rather quickly. Justin took a moment to calculate the countdown time to almost twelve days.

Twelve days to what? Justin asked himself, but even as he moved his arms, or even metalized holocloth, his health level didn’t lower. Maybe I have twelve days at one hundred percent, till it returns to normal use of health. Justin guessed.

Justin noticed a small object zip across the room, the small orb that was given to him earlier stopped in front of Justin startling him. Oh, it’s you, fine mess you got me into, now if you can get me out of here, where ever here is.

The small orbs side slid apart reviling a center array, the two sides began to spin in different directions, after a moment they stopped and the two sides came back together. What was that supposed to do? Justin said as he starred at the orb confused.

Justin grabbed the small orb to move it out of his view, the orb tried to struggle, Justin didn’t notice, but what he did noticed was that the stone door had a watery film building up over it, as though it would pour out into the room.

Oh no, I hope the room doesn’t fill with water, I’m not Muck, I can’t breathe under water.

Then it almost seam if a bubble was being blown into another room. Justin quickly studied the other room until the familiar three clay figure appeared passing through the threshold, and the film vanished as if the bubble had popped.

Oh no, Hi… I am Justin; Oh wait, I know you; you said you were the Ozmoorins, right?. Where am I? Justin heard a joint laughter in his head, and a deep voice. I am sure you’re confused. A feminine voice then said. Yes we are the Ozmoorins. A third voice chimed in. you are safe, we found you. A drift near the Canero station. We brought you on board. It didn’t seem safe for you exposed to. The vacuum of space. We did what we could to heal you.

Oh, you said you found me near a Canero station, are we still near it?

Yes. We are still near. By, is that where you. Are from?

Yes, yes, I came from the Canero station.

Oh. We can. Return you. If you. Wish.

I appreciate your offer, but I actually have my own way back through, thanks, and thank you for the rescue, I am sure I would have died if you didn’t intervene. This is an interesting ship, may I have a tour of the ship though it does appears to be very fascinating?

Sure. It would. Be a. Pleasure. Please Follow us. And we will. Show you. Our modest ship. The masses communicated as they turned towards the door archway.

But that’s solid rock, but I saw what appeared to be a bubble that expanded into another room… Justin said stepping over the masses and touching were the door was.

It’s ok. This archway. Will take. Us anywhere. In our ship. We wish to. Go. The masses stated as they approached the archway, and once again it seemed like fluid began to cover the space inside the archway, as the center bent inwards and slowly another room appeared and expanded to fill the whole area inside the archway.

Justin’s jaw dropped, and he weakly pointed as he tilted his head in awe.

Please. Follow. Us. The masses said as they passed through the archway into another room. Justin followed behind, looking back towards the archway he witnessed the passage close once again like the popping of a bubble. Justin mouthed the word wow. The Ozmoorins figures continued through two hallways.

Where we are. And where we were. Have been in. different locations. Of the ship. Our ship is. Like a shattered. Moon, we are. About to go. To the engine. Room, but it. Is more like the. Core of a small. Planet with an active center.

The three figures lead Justin to a round room with a spiral ramp that allowed access to all levels of the core, and started to climb. As the four ascended to the middle where there was a round red molten ball, with spinning streams, and erupting blasts, throughout the surface of the core.

What is that?

That is the. Core of our. Ship, it is. Solid iron core. Surrounded by molten liquid. Nickel iron alloy. It generates our power. Heat, and lighting. Throughout. Our ship. And it propels. Us through. Space.

Justin felt the room was warmer that the other rooms he was in and the walls were covered in condensation. Justin thought even though the room was warm this room should be boiling hot, it’s odd that it’s not even that much warmer as he approached the core, and moved his hand towards it. Passing an unseen barrier, the heat quickly made him pull back his arm; he looked at his arm and realized he lost some arm hair, as a whisper of smoke emanated from his skin.

Human, you. Shouldn’t get to. Close, your skin. Won’t be able. To stand the. Heat our engine. Generates.

Is there some sort of shield or barrier preventing the core from boiling this room?

Human. There is. It prevents. The plants. In this room. And the. Ship from. Burning. Away, and. Safe heat. And light. Levels. As you. Demonstrated.

I see tha.. felt that, so this core powers you whole ship?

Yes, it. Does now. Were about. To take you. To our command. Center.

Exiting the ramp to the top was a circular walk way allowing workers to view down on the core. On the other side of the room was another ramp leading down, and other archways lined the walls.

Accessing the archway the small group entered into a great room. An open archway showing the space field in front of the ship displayed. There were other Ozmoorins, or Justin thought they were, they may have been stationary rocks, motionless. Justin could see that there table or consoles, some showing different rooms, most hung in the air, and appear if nothing was supporting the great weight of the stones. Justin looked towards the front of the great control room, seeing four giant archways displaying different views, Justin was amazing to see that they were also suspended in the air with nothing holding them. One of the giant displays showed the core room.

Hey, we just came from there.

Yes. Justin. We did.

Justin approached the other giant displays, one of a space field with a planet in view.

Is that the Canero planet but I am not able to see the station.

Yes. Justin. That is. The Canero. Home world. We are. Not there.

Hey Ozmoorins, where are we, then? Justin asked.

Justin we are. In the space. Not to. Far from the. Canero home world. Not far. From the. Remains. Of our own. Home world. They spoke.

Wow, so close?

The Ozmoorins, and. The Canero were. Neighboring races. Good friends. Got more friends. Until Gillenium. The Gillenium organized. And asked our. friends to join. Their council, they. Wanted our research. We Ozmoorins lost. Our world, but. We made this. Ship from what. Was left of. Its remains.

Oh wow, I see, may I see a diagram of your ship please?

Yes. That. Would. Be. Acceptable. The mass of deep gray clay produced a clay tablet off the top of its self that floated up to Justin’s eye level. Here you are Justin.

Justin took the tablet and was astonished to see that it was almost like if Justin was outside staring at the ship. He began to use his fingers and spin the ship, looking at it from different angels, after a moment of seeing that the ship looked like a collection of asteroids that fit together in a semicircular pattern with a large center mass.

Okay, Wow, that impressive, I’ve never seen a screen like that.

Screen? That tablet. Has no. Screen. That tablet. was a portal. outside of the ship.

Oh, wow indeed, ok, so if that was a portal, how come there wasn’t a vacuum?

There is an energy. Barrier sustaining a. breathable atmosphere. We also can use that. Barrier like a portal. If we need to make. Repairs to the ship.

The four continued to walk through the ship and discuses aspect of the ship. The hall that the four passes through had a viewing window. Justin couldn’t help but approached it, trying to get as close to edge of it as possible, closer and closer, he now realized he was looking threw an opening, Justin placed his hand on the rim of the window, pushing some dust and a few lose stones off the ledge, Justin watch the falling particles until he could no longer see them. There is no glass or barrier around this window?

No need. For them. Because the barrier. Around the ship. Someone is. Not limited to. Viewing around the ship, we have. Other open. Areas like. This, such. As the observation. Lounge.

Can we go see it, please?

Sure. All three voices stated.

CHAPTER