THE ELEMENT GUARDIANS

Chapter 11: The Evil Plan

One day on Planet Element, Master Topaz was sitting at the morning breakfast table, lost in her thoughts. She was driven out of them when Master Ribbit joined her.

“Good morning, Master Topaz. What thoughts are you pondering about?”

“Just thinking about our next moves regarding the oncoming conflict,” responded Master Topaz.

“I think this is a good time to show you my latest invention, a fine addition to our overall war strategy to be deployed as needed,” said Master Ribbit. “My idea, already transformed and ready to use, is simple enough that it will be easily understood by the Element team. We can set up the future moves that we plan to take by establishing them on a board. A preview of how we would like things to go, you could say.”

“How can we do that?” asked Master Topaz.

Master Ribbit had a regular chessboard appear in front of them.

“How does this help us?” Master Topaz asked. As an answer, Master Ribbit had figures appear on the board that looked a lot like them. Master Topaz watched as Master Ribbit set up the pieces that he had put on the board, arranging them to his liking.

“The way I set up the pieces on the board tells us everything that has happened so far in a visual shorthand. Note the similarity to the books the Guardians have. This is the fastest and quickest way to explain this technology.”

“Do you have such a book for me?” asked Master Topaz.

“Not exactly, but I’ve got something comparable to the books.” Master Ribbit pulled out a thin rectangular box. Master Topaz watched as he scanned the chessboard with the device.

“What you see here is a device that turns physical objects into 3D holographic memories,” explained Master Ribbit. “It also allows someone to think or write something into existence. It will create a projection and save what was dictated like the Guardians’ books. While creating the Element Swords, I had a feeling that such a device could be of some use.”

“You make it sound like you’ve made more than one such instrument,” said Master Topaz.

“I have,” answered the inventor. “They’re called 3D Holographic Memory Scanners, or 3DHMS. While working on the Guardians’ books and swords, I made a few other similar devices which are reserved for important uses. For example, when the time comes, one of the devices will be used by Quincey and Lilley so that they can infiltrate the bad guys’ nest. At this time, because of the respect I have for you, I’d like to tell you something. The reason I didn’t mention this discovery to you nor the others during our time in the secure galaxy was because the true Element Guardian team had not been officially created yet. In other words, this is the right time for me to reveal it.”

“Please, Master Ribbit. No apology needed,” said Master Topaz. “Your contribution to our cause speaks for itself. You are a great inventor and a greater friend to us, me in particular.”

“Likewise. And now that I have reviewed this device with you, these are my thoughts on what to do next.”

Master Ribbit took some of the pieces off the board, keeping the piece that represented Lilley and the two that stood in for Dan’s daughters. He also kept on the board some other pieces that he was using to represent other Element citizens. After arranging them to his liking, he took the device and scanned the board one more time. Then he placed the 3DHMS in front of both of them and pressed a button on it—in a flash, the set that he had just created was in front of them in a light blue holographic form.

“Here is what I want to have happen. Lilley, Clarissa, and Jenerissa are going to start teleporting our people to the secure galaxy,” said Master Ribbit. “Also, we need to start a patrol detail on the Field of Elements because there is no telling when the enemy army might show up.”

“Fine,” responded Master Topaz. “If I may make a suggestion, have you thought of putting a contingency plan in place in case things don’t go our way?”

“I do have some in mind,” responded Master Ribbit. “You’re right about it being a good idea. As soon as possible we and the Guardians will put all these plans in motion. Right now, however, as Commander in Chief, you should first put Lilley and Dan’s daughters on the mission of transporting people from here to our safe location. Then get a set of agents on the patrol detail and have them watch over the Field of Elements.”

“It will be done,” responded Master Topaz.

Master Ribbit pressed a button and the hologram disappeared. He gave it to Master Topaz, who put it in her pocket.

As she was getting up to leave, Master Ribbit said, “Note, Master Topaz, that that tool can scan anything, so when we send Quincey on the infiltration mission, she’ll be able to scan any enemy weapons that she comes across. That kind of spying will help us a great deal.”

Master Topaz nodded and left the table.

***

Later that same day, Master Ribbit was instructing his daughter about one of the jobs she was going to be doing during the war. The Guardians were still training, but lately they’d been learning to balance the training with some fun. Quester and Quincey even found the time to go on dates—they spent most of their time going out to eat or going on motorcycle rides.

As Master Topaz was setting up the patrol detail that was going to take up positions around the Field of Elements, Master Ribbit told Lilley how she and Dan’s daughters were going to transport the citizens to the secure galaxy utilizing the new technology that he had already shown Master Topaz.

In the morning, Master Ribbit went to go see Quincey at the Metal Guardian’s place, for he needed to prepare her for her task of infiltrating Dark Sky by showing her the tool, which he had improved slightly for Quincey’s benefit. He had turned it into a hair clip so she could hide it in her hair. He knocked on the door and Quester answered it.

“Good morning, Quester. May I come in?” Quester let him pass by and Master Ribbit entered his home. “I need to see Quincey. We need to start her on the task that might help us win the war.”

“Sure, let me go get her out of bed, she’s still sleeping,” said Quester. A couple of minutes later, they both stood in front of him.

“Let’s sit. This won’t take long, but it’s important. They sat down and he started the demonstration. He pulled out the new device and laid it on the table. “This is the 3D Holographic Memory Scanner. This gadget helps us scan physical objects and make them 3D holograms. This will, hopefully, give us some idea of what they're up to on Dark Sky. I turned it into a hair clip so the enemy won’t be able to see it. I’ve also added silent speakers, so even if we speak to you, no one else will be able to hear it.

“I need you to change your appearance and dress in special clothing where you can store this and anything else you need.” He pulled out a long coat. “This is a thought concealment coat, another one of my inventions. This coat can hold any type of weapon, and you can will it to appear and disappear with just a thought. It’s connected, specifically, to your brain. Also, no one else but you can summon it or obtain any weapon from it. I want you to use these devices when you infiltrate the enemy’s territory.”

After he was done introducing his new inventions, he met up with Master Topaz at the temple. The two of them convened to decide how they would carry out the most important task of the mission: getting Quincey to Dark Sky and back while ensuring she was one hundred percent protected along the way.

Later that day, Quester was working on something in his work shed when Master Ribbit came by again.

“I heard that you were looking for me,” said Master Ribbit. “What is it that you require of me?”

“I know that we have a lot of things going on with the impending war,” said Quester. “Something tells me we will probably not have many happy moments in the near future, even though we haven’t received any more visions. So, while we’re in this moment of quiet, I wanted to talk to you about something.”

“Do you have a plan in mind for sending your girlfriend to the other side to gather information?” asked Master Ribbit. “Master Topaz and I still haven’t figured a way out, and you know her better than we do.”

“I think I might have figured that problem out for you, which is part of the reason why I wanted to talk to you,” responded Quester. “I want to propose to Quincey. She and I were thinking that we could turn her engagement ring into a transport ring. I know that you explained the power of the brain to us Guardians, but just to us. No one else has this power. So, I figure it’s smart to hide it, but to do it this way, I need your help. I was hoping that you could travel to the cave filled with gems, get a clean jewel and make it into an engagement ring. That way, she can hide it in plain sight, and the enemy won’t see it coming.”

Master Ribbit thought for a second and then said, “Great idea. I think something like that could work very well for the infiltration. I’ll get working on this as soon as possible.”

After talking with Master Topaz, they agreed that it would work. It would be something unexpected and useful, and Master Topaz liked the plan’s chances of getting Quincey safely from point A to point B. So after looking back in Quester’s book to find the location of the cave from his journey, Master Ribbit made his way there.

He changed his appearance once more and teleported to the cave. While trying to find the right stone, he also looked to see if there was any metal that he could use to make the band that would hold the gem. As he walked through it, he began to realize what a beautiful journey it was. He saw stones of all colors; however, he just hadn’t found the right one yet. The one that he knew Quester would like to present to Quincey.

He entered a new section of the cave. There he found himself in a light blue room filled with gems, all the same color this time. Master Ribbit explored the newest section, wondering if Quester had come into this room during his journey. Given that his time had been limited, Master Ribbit didn’t think he had. He was just about to leave when a very different light caught his attention.

On a small altar, there was a gem that was so out of place that Master Ribbit knew immediately that he had found what he was looking for. He quickly ran to it and picked it up, swiftly putting it away in his pocket. Before giving it to Quester, first he had to create the band of the ring—second, he thought, he must study the jewel, given it was something he had never seen before.

He left that section of the cave, now pondering where he might find a place where he could fashion the band that would hold the stone. By this point, the cave around him looked entirely different than it had at the beginning of the journey. He had an idea, remembering the locations where he had left Quester messages, to get him from one place to another. The workshop from the beginning of his mission might still be in working order. That is, if the creatures of Dark Sky hadn’t destroyed them since Quester, his tiger, and Quincey had left.

He flashed himself to the location he had in mind, the cabin that Quester had put back together. He went down to the lower part of the cabin where he knew the workshop was. When he entered, he saw that it looked different from the way he knew he had created it. He saw tools out of place and scraps of metal lying on tables. Master Ribbit figured that, given the short amount of time that Quester had, he hadn’t had time to clean up.

Looking at the pieces, he found there was enough metal to fit his needs. He used all the tools that were in the workshop to create the engagement ring. Once the mold was made and had gone through the heating and cooling processes, he got the gem out of his pocket as he waited for the metal to finish cooling off. Elsewhere in the workshop, he found a machine that was capable of scanning and analyzing the material. As an inventor and builder of the greatest tools of his generation, it was obvious to Master Ribbit that with the instruments available in Quester’s shop, he could build a device that would transport Quincey from point A to point B and vice versa utilizing the precious stone attached to a metal ring.

Using a full spectral 3D scanner, he started scanning both the inner and outer layers of the jewel. After looking through the scanner’s findings on paper, he was satisfied to find that the results of the programming he had implemented demonstrated not only capability of the basic functions requested by Quester, but also a means of transport across longer distances that he had added as an extra utility. After placing the jewel into the socket of the metal ring, Master Ribbit fused the two objects together, giving it the look of a normal engagement ring. But this ring was anything but ordinary. In fact, it was the legendary Trojan Horse that would be used by Quincey whenever she needed to appear or disappear from the Dark Sky where Grossman resided.

Master Ribbit used the door of the workshop to make his departure from this strange place. He was on the verge of teleporting out of there when he realized that some unexpected and unwanted monsters was now surrounding him. Master Ribbit knew that he could still use his powers while he was in a different form, but if he did so, his guests would know who they were dealing with; it would be like broadcasting himself to the other side. Brandishing a sword, he prepared for the fight he was faced with.

“Well, well, well. What do we got here, boys? I think it’s someone who shouldn’t be in this place.” This came from the creature that looked to be in charge of this band of cronies.

“Yeah, you never know what or who could come up and kill you with one swift stroke of a knife,” said another creature.

Master Ribbit knew that he had to think of something fast without giving himself away. The creatures, however, didn’t give him the minute he needed; they charged him. Master Ribbit had never been a fighter—his skills as a scientist had always kept him busy reading books and providing comfort to humanity. The present situation required self-defense, however, the use of a weapon was not the only way. As always, he used his intelligence to overcome a hard situation.

“STOP! STOP!” shouted Master Ribbit. “I come from a different world. I’m bringing you wealth and happiness. If you hurt me in any way, you will all die!”

Indeed, the attackers stopped running toward him and stood motionless and silent while looking at the sky. He thought that his screaming must have stopped them, but he could not understand why they were directing their glances above his head. He directed his eyes skyward to see what was that everyone was staring at. Looming over him from behind was a giant.

“Who are you and where did you come from?” asked Master Ribbit.

“I am no one, and you are invading my home,” answered the giant.

“These creatures attacked me without any reason,” replied Master Ribbit. “I was only defending myself.”

As soon as the creatures realized who their new opponent was, they ran away at Olympic speeds, leaving the giant and Master Ribbit free to exchange opinions.

“Thank you for your assistance. I am grateful for your help, but who are you?” asked Master Ribbit.

“I could ask you the same thing,” answered the giant. “It hasn’t been safe here since a strange man in silver came through a while ago.”

“Well,” said Master Ribbit, “I would prefer not to say who I am, because it may draw those types of creatures here again.”

“I understand,” said the giant. “But can you tell me what you’re doing here?”

“That I can do,” responded Master Ribbit. “I was sent by a man whose name is Quester, also known as the man in silver.”

“Yes, that was the man who I helped during a bad storm,” said the giant. “I offered him a place to rest and fresh food to eat.”

“He came back home with a girl who he intends on marrying, and he asked me to find him a stone and fashion an engagement ring out of it,” explained Master Ribbit.

“I see,” said the giant. “Were you on your way home before those mutations appeared?”

“Yes, I was.” Master Ribbit nodded. “You see, a war that I bet Quester told you about is set to happen on his home planet.”

“Yes, he did tell me of this war that faces him and some of his friends,” replied the giant.

“Do you have a home here, or a place that you came from?” asked Master Ribbit.

“I left it a long time ago,” said the giant. “Since then, this place is the only home I have known.”

“If you are interested in where I come from, we always welcome newcomers,” said Master Ribbit.

“I thank you for your offer. Perhaps someday I will take you up on it.”

“Great. Then maybe I could learn more about who you are and where you came from,” said Master Ribbit as he left the giant. He was interested in learning more about him, but alas, there was still important work for him to do.