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★★★★★ “...It builds slowly, but the payoff is breathtaking..." 

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★★★★★ "...Quirky, engaging, and impossible to predict..." 

★★★★★ "...It’s like watching a snail turn into a typhoon..." 

 

Mission

A sample chapter from World Builder by Lucas Kitchen

Ruth’s blue irises were islands surrounded by milky white. Her body was tight with tension. She continued to stare down at her work while a belligerent lock of hair hung unkempt across her features. Her soft, rounded face was attractive and kind, but her fashion sense had left a long time ago. It had never returned. The mismatched shades of her asymmetrical outfit complemented her colorful personality.

She stood, half bent over a desk littered with papers. A worldwide navigation chart dominated the tabletop clutter. She was no cartographer, but her mission required a unique map. It had a distinct look of something hand-printed. She had penned it all in a dark black ink that bit deep into the oversized page.

At various locations, red Xs stood lonesome. Like a pirate’s map, the vibrant red marks hid an elusive mystery. Unfortunately, she was either too dense or too tired to see it.

The Xs were spaced across the entire globe except for one isolated location. At this particular spot, there were so many marks that they had worn through the paper. This inky gash in the map gaped somewhere in the mid-north-east of North America.

The desk was not the only cluttered space in Ruth’s workspace. Being an abandoned attic, its wood floor was rough and unfinished. There was a single shaft of light streaming in from a high, perched opening in the wall.

Her hand slammed against the firm surface of the desk. A few papers retreated from the rush of air. How could she have made such a reckless mistake?

Her hand trembled from the adrenaline her anger provided. In one fluid motion, she dropped to a sitting position in front of the desk. She used to love sitting on the floor. She could sit for hours. That is when Truss was present. She would sit quietly as Truss would teach her what he had learned on his latest adventure. The embers of passion in his eyes would spark a forest fire in her mind. His passion had enveloped her dark world. He had been the one who first taught her about the worlds beyond. He was the only one she had ever loved, and now she had lost him. She chuckled at the double meaning.

“I’ve lost my lover,” She said with a silly smile. “And I can’t remember where I’ve put him.” Her short laugh turned into fat, salty tears.

She could not imagine what the council would do to her when they found out what she had done. From her sitting position, she flopped flat on her back. Her search was impossible. So she lay on the wooden planks. She was out of ideas. Despite the fact that her mind was empty, her task remained. She had to find Truss.

An explosion of light and sound rocked the old wooden boards she lay on. She shut her eyes, knowing what this must be. A time-space burst so intense could only be an interstellar jump. It meant they had come for her. They would find her guilty. Who knows what her punishment would be? The fear of her mistake lay on top of her so weighty she could not rise. She could not open her eyes. She could not even breathe.

Heavy footsteps knocked across the rickety old floor. Maybe there wouldn’t be a trial. Maybe this is my executioner. She found this all the more reason to continue to lie motionless. Her eyes stayed sealed as the footsteps came unbearably close.

A dark, cello-like voice greeted her ears. At least he has a good voice, I’d hate for the last voice I hear to be scratchy and annoying, she thought. She passed another moment behind her eyelids before she realized he had spoken. She tried to recall what the voice had said. Something rigid poked at her shoulder from the direction where the footsteps had stopped.

“Are you well?” the voice came again. She warmed a bit to think of a kind executioner. She had to see this embodiment of irony.

She peeked through the smallest slit she could make in her eyelids. Recognition hit her as hard as if this visitor had dropped a brick on her head. It was Atromus, the Head of the Galactic Builders Council. The council was a federation covering thirty-six galaxies. It was strange that they had not sent a messenger. Why would they send the chairman of the GBC, she wondered. His face shifted gears from concern to confusion.

In one graceless movement, Ruth shot up from the floor. She straightened her mismatched clothes and fluffed her hair. She gave a slight bow of respect. She had never spoken to him. In fact, she had never even spoken to his assistant. She had thus far only ever talked to Atromus’ assistant’s assistant.

Atromus’s appearance would be formidable in any world and in any majestic setting. By contrast, the place he stood at that moment only emphasized his immensity. A hint of smoke and heat rose from his shoulders and the top of his head. She knew this was the result of long-distance space-time bending. The dark black cloak that he wore acted as a shield for the tremendous heat created by such a use of power.

“May I take your coat?” She asked trying to be hospitable. It was impossible to remove the nervous note from her voice.

“No. It is quite all right. It will be over soon,” He said as he spun around to look at the attic. Her mind raced at his words. It sounded ominous. She grasped for words, trying to keep the conversation going.

“How was your trip?” She asked. What a silly question. She was floundering.

He brushed his shoulders off with his hands and straightened his cloak. “The galactic weather is unpredictable this time of cycle. I had to jump through a Hydrogen Nebula. There was no way around it.”

He kept his hair cropped short. His chiseled features now masked any emotion. His angular brow furrowed as if he was at least a little disappointed in the accommodations. She could scream.

“I do some of my best thinking while lying on the floor,” She said with an awkward smile. Atromus gave her a raised eyebrow. She regretted the stupid comment. She stared at the floorboards, trying to think. Once again, her mind was empty. She wished Truss was there. He would know what to say. He always handled galactic dignitaries with such grace and poise.

What would Truss say, she thought. She lowered her voice a little and pretended to be him.

“I’m sorry, I didn’t expect anyone to come, especially not…” she trailed off, trying to think of his formal title. Instead, shifted gears. She glanced at her wrist, where there was no watch. “I must have miscalculated, I didn’t expect...” This time, it was he who cut her off.

He put his hand up to stop her. “Thank you for letting me shut up,” she didn’t say. He had the ease of a man used to obedience. His bright, powerful voice filled her with awe as he spoke.

“I’m here on somewhat of an unscheduled nature. How is the progress? I trust the research is coming along as planned?” He spun around the room once more. This time, he leaned over the desk to look at the papers that she had scattered there.

She rushed to organize the desk’s contents. That is at least what she hoped he would perceive. In actual fact she made a point to cover up the map, knowing it would be uncomfortable to explain. She braced herself and tried to seem upbeat.

“The progress is—Well, it’s—” She could not lie, but there were times when it would be so much easier. With reluctance, she continued. “We—I mean, I had a little setback.” She was ready to explain the entire situation when he interrupted her once more. This time, it was a welcome reprieve.

“I’m sure you will sort it out. Now on to the reason I’ve come.” She could hardly hold back her relief. She knew she would have to answer for her mistake, but she would put it off as long as possible. He breathed deeply as if in preparation for a briefing. Again, he spoke with a rumbling tone. “We have a project for you two. We like your previous work. It’s all creative, and most importantly, stable. This would be a great opportunity for you and your builder. It’s an order of magnitude larger than anything you’ve done before, but we know that you both are ready.”

She swallowed hard and breathed in her disbelief. To keep her composure, she needed to busy her hands. Write something her mind offered. She turned to her quill and inkwell on the desk. On a piece of scrap paper, she poised her fingers. Trying to sound casual, she managed to croak out, “How big?”

“It should be 900 trillion tons, give or take, radioactive molten core, and two orbiters. It’s going to be in premium real estate. This project will also require a new star ignition. You two have done a star fire ignition, haven’t you?” Atromus asked. Her thoughts piled up like train cars in a crash. Her heart began to race. Her palms grew sweaty. The ink pooled at the point where her quill stood motionlessly. She tried to say something.

“Uh. Well. No. We have never done a star fire ignition. My builder knows how, but—” Ruth choked.

“That’s fine. It’s all quite basic. Once you finish your assignment here, visit headquarters. You’ll need a set of ignition schematics,” He said.

“Yes, of course. Schematics.”

He spoke again. “I know it’s big, but we have admired your work for quite a while, and we know you’re ready.” He paused and stepped forward a pace. “There is one more thing, there will be inhabitants. Not just inhabitants but sentient ones. It’s top secret, so this stays between us for now, but some will be...” He paused, searching for the right word. “immigrants and some indigenous born.”

This was beyond words. In her wildest dreams, she never imagined that she could be on such an important build team. A few deep breaths gave her time to gather her frazzled wits. Finally composed enough to speak, she looked up.

“Wow, that will be a sight to see.”

“Yes, it will be a great accomplishment; the history of an entire world rests on your work.” Feelings of joy and pain washed over her as she remembered. They had lived through so many years of hoping for this moment. Now, her colossal mistake would ruin it all. He looked at his wrist, which did have a watch on it.

“Of course, this will all mean a bump in his schedule. We have to get ahead of this if we want to make it work.”

“How much of a bump?” She tried to sound optimistic, but knew it did not matter what the schedule was. She was short one builder.

“Where are we?” He asked, not as if he didn’t know, but because he wanted to be reminded.

She matched his tone, “Milky, Sol system, 3rd planet.” He looked up at the unfinished ceiling, pondering her answer.

He asked, “One moon?” She nodded her head in compliance. “Ok let’s say a month.” Attempting to hide her concerns she smiled sheepishly and again nodded her head.

He turned and began straightening his cloak in preparation for his departure. As he made himself ready for his return journey, he questioned her idly. “Has he found a city yet?” Her mind raced, trying to think of a way to answer that would not reveal she had no idea where her builder was.

“You know how they jump around, it’s hard to imagine where he might go next.” She hoped that was good enough to suffice. He stopped smoothing his cloak for a moment as if something had just occurred to him. She felt as if she were on the edge of a cliff. He was about to ask her the question that would reveal the truth. His stoic look beamed through her. His response was emotionless.

“That’s true until he finds a city. Your legwork will be much less once he gets acquainted with the sights and sounds. The smell is what drew me in. Every builder is different, but once he sets his sights on a city, it’s where he will stay until his time is up.” Her eyes widened. For the first time, it was not out of frustration but realization.

Watching for her reaction, Atromus displayed an empathetic smile. He stepped closer to her and put his hand on her shoulder. He spoke soft and bright. “It’s a good idea to pull him from the field as soon as possible. Now that his official time is up, the bound ones of Molgathra can reach him. Keep him safe until you are able to restore him. We will see you soon. ” He stepped back, prepped himself, and added, “For the sake of the King.” An explosion of light, and he was gone.

She imagined the bound ones finding him. He was wide open now that he was no longer under celestial guard. She knew that she must, but it had never been so urgent that she find him. A sparkling hope twinkled in the back of her mind.

What had he said about the city? Why had she not thought of that? It was the most valuable information she had received in the hunt for her builder. She had been trying to anticipate Truss’s moves. Her ground game was about to change. If Atromus was right, she finally had a new hope.

She returned to her desk and began gathering up her papers. She had work to do.