Chapter 1



“Damn-it!  Will it ever stop raining?!”  Vlad was staring out the cottage window at the clearing in the forest where he lived.
Cyber, an android that Vladimere built, made a few clicking noises, and then said, “The forecast says that the rain should stop in half an hour.”
“That’s good.  I hate having to work in the rain.”
A buzzer started going off in the back of the cottage.  Vlad quickly looked out the window and down the path that led to the main road.
“Crap!  I forgot about the club again.  Cyber, let Harriet in.”  Vlad grabbed his mirror goggles from his work desk and quickly slid them into place.
Cyber opened the door and let Harriet in.
“Hey Cyber, nice to see you again.”
“The feeling is mutual.”
“Where is Vlad at?  He missed the meeting again.”
“I’m in back.  I’ll be out in a second.”
Vlad came out wearing his traditional outfit.   He wore black jeans, a black t-shirt, black arm bracers, a black cape and his mirrored goggles.  His hair was styled in a way that made it look like a black flame, and his black boots were polished to a shine.
“Greetings, Harriet.  Sorry I didn’t turn up again.  I was caught up in my latest project.”
“Oh.  What’s the military got you working on this time?”
“Nothing.  It’s something I’m doing on my own.  You can see it after it stops raining.”
The buzzer in back went off again.
Vlad got up and walked to the door.  “You invited the others over, didn’t you?”
“Yes, I did.  They decided that they might as well have the WC meeting here.”
“That’s a very good idea.  Cyber, make some green tea.”
Vlad opened the door.  Outside, the members of the weapons club stood in the rain.
The members consisted of Binky, Vince, and a really quiet guy who is only known as Blade.
“Come on in guys.  Cyber will be serving tea in a moment.”
The group came in and sat in various chairs.
Cyber came from the kitchen carrying a tray with five mugs of tea and a large kettle.  “The rain will be stopping in about ten minutes,” he said while handing a mug to Harriet.
Vlad stood and opened the chest in the back room.  “That’s good.  Then we can start the meeting.”  He came back out with an armful of medieval weapons and started to hand them out.  Binky got a halberd, Vince got two lances, Harriet got a dagger, and Blade got two katanas.  “After the rain stops, go to the clearing behind my house.  I’ve got something to tell you guys.”
He drank his tea and went outside.




Cyber led everyone to the clearing out back after ten minutes.  Like he said, it had stopped raining.
When the group reached the clearing, they couldn’t believe their eyes.
There, in the middle of the clearing, next to Vlad’s workshop, stood a black tower, about twenty by twenty-five feet and fifteen stories tall.  On the top was a set of helicopter blades.  
Vlad stood at the base, talking to a guy with a sniper rifle.
“Hey gang.  I’d like to introduce you to Harrold.  Harrold is a sniper from the army.  He shall be joining us.  Harrold, allow me to introduce you to Vince, Blade, Binky, and Harriet.  And the black and blue guy, he’s the android I created.”
Harrold shook everyone’s hands as they were named off.  “It’s a pleasure to meet you all.  I think that we shall be a great team.”
Vince looked from Harrold to Vlad.  “What’s going on?  Where did that tower come from?”
Vlad turned and looked at the tower.  “This,” he said, “is an Inter-dimensional Transporter.
“Also, I’m not from Earth.  I’m from another world, another dimension.”
He reached up, and took off his goggles.













© 2006-Andy Beaudry