POWERLESS

  Powerless:

  The Reborn Saga

  By Antony W.F. Chow

  Kindle Edition. Copyright (c) 2017 by Antony W.F. Chow, all rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form without prior written permission of the author. Book cover by Sid Ceaser Photography, based on Dreamstime.com stock image ID #26718419, "Escaping from the Town Guard," copyrighted (c) 2017 by Algol. Image used under Dreamstime.com's Royalty-Free license. Book formatted by Jesse Gordon at adarnedgoodbook.com.

  This is a work of fiction. All of the characters and events portrayed in this work are either products of the author's imagination or are used fictitiously.

  Part I - Reborn

  1.1 - Rebirth

  The air was cold. His back was stiff. His body was foreign. With great effort, the teenager finally opened his eyes. The whiteness washed over his vision and threatened to overwhelm his sight. He held up a hand to shield his eyes and immediately felt relief. However, his attention was drawn elsewhere.

  He felt a burning sensation. It came from his chest. He finally remembered to breathe. The air was as cold in his lungs as it felt on his skin. Also, he noticed his body was shivering. But instinctively, his body prioritized air first. Drawing his first breath, his nostrils were assaulted by the staleness of the air. It smelled of antiseptic. From a hospital room. Wait! What's a hospital?

  The boy searched through the dense fog of his memories. But he came up empty. His mind was a locked box inside a vault. And he had lost the key. In desperation, he mentally slammed his fists against the metaphysical vault. It shuddered and trembled from his assault. He could almost grasp the answer, the knowledge, but it remained stubbornly just out of reach.

  "Where are we?"

  The boy heard the question. His memories were pushed aside when he realized he was not alone. His eyes had finally adjusted to the brightness. To the colors. He withdrew his hand. Without hesitation, he turned his head from side to side and discovered that the world was horizontal.

  No, it was he who was horizontal; he was laying on the ground. He slowly pulled his body up and pivoted. He saw two strange things hanging freely below him. He peered down and saw that they were attached to him; instinctively, he realized they were his legs. They were a part of him. He felt other limbs in his physical form and held them up. They were his arms and hands. He looked down to memorize the rest of his form. And realized that he was naked, sitting on a smooth, white surface which, in turn, rose a few feet above the equally smooth, white floor. Instinctively, he knew that he was sitting on an altar.

  His mind full of curiosity now, he looked around. He saw a white room full of altars. Laying on each altar was a person who was naked, just like him. The boy hopped off his altar and his feet landed on the ground. Ack! The floor felt just as cold as the altar. He looked up at the ceiling and saw panels of bright white fluorescent light. The ceiling was a good fifteen feet high. Furthermore, he noticed that the ceiling took the shape of a dome.

  His eyes roamed again as he carefully studied his surroundings. The altars were made of white marble and they were arranged in a circle. A quick count revealed twenty-five altars in all. The wall was also made of white marble. It curved continuously and there was no exit that he could see.

  Suddenly, music started playing. It was a cheery tune composed of wind instruments with the accompaniment of a piano. The music was clearly meant to convey the feeling of a brand new day. "Welcome to The Sanctum," the metallic voice said. "You have been chosen to be reborn in this new world. At the prompt, please type in your name. When all of you have done so, you will be allowed to exit this Rebirth Chamber."

  A transparent screen appeared before the teenage boy's face and a keyboard floated before his chest. What is my name? He tried hard to recall his name, but again his memories remained locked away and just out of reach. Nonetheless, his effort was rewarded when a memory flashed in his mind. It was a film about a unicorn. And his favorite character was named, "Schmendrick." Smiling to himself, the boy typed in the name, "Schmendrick." It was as good a name as any. More importantly, though, it was a link between his unknown present and his mysterious past. While Schmendrick could not recall his past right now, he was confident that he will be able to do so. Someday.

  The keyboard chattered as the teenager typed in his name. Once he pressed, "Enter," the word, "Processing," appeared in red over a semi-transparent screen. The word flashed for a few seconds and finally, he saw the word, "Approved."

  *Chirk*

  A panel slid open on the side of his altar and something was pushed out on a tray. It was a large brown bag.

  The boy knelt on the cold, hard floor and opened the bag. It contained clothing. The boy grabbed the bag and stood up. He dumped the contents of the bag on his altar. There was a white, long-sleeved buttonless shirt, brown colored breeches, a black belt, a pair of black leather boots, and a dagger in a sheath. As he put on his clothes, someone said, "Dude, what happened to your back?"

  Schmendrick turned around and he saw another teenage boy standing before him. The newcomer was taller than Schmendrick; he had a mane of dark brown hair, a wide jaw, and even wider chest. His huge biceps and chest were barely contained by his white shirt.

  "What do you mean?" Schmendrick asked as he put on his pants. He didn't bother to turn around again despite someone staring at him.

  "Your back is full of scars, bro! And your front, too!"

  "I don't remember," Schmendrick replied while putting on his boots.

  "Yeah, now that you mention it, I can't remember nuthin' either. My name is Malkus." The teenage boy offered a hand.

  "I'm Schmendrick," the other boy replied and gripped the proffered hand firmly.

  "Any idea what the fuck is going on?" Malkus asked.

  "Hey! Watch your language pal!" a light, distinctly feminine voice said. A girl whose head barely rose to the middle of Malkus' chest stood before the boys. She, too, wore a white shirt and brown breeches over black leather boots.

  Schmendrick took a quick glance at the other altars and confirmed that everyone had been issued the identical set of clothes. He had the impression that the lot of them had been drafted into an army. Then he turned his attention back to the girl, who was either brave or stupid for confronting Malkus.

  The girl had dark blonde hair which was shortly cropped. Her piercing blue eyes stared directly into Malkus' own brown eyes. Her skinny arms were folded under her small breasts, the outline of which was visible under the white shirt. Despite her petite figure, she had a strong presence. Every set of eyes in the room were on her.

  "What's it to you, girlie?" Malkus grinned. He loved being the center of attention and he was aware that he had it now.

  "We died and went to heaven," she replied. "When we leave this room, we're going to face judgment. You don't want to be kicked out because of your potty mouth." She wagged a finger in front of his nose for emphasis.

  "What's your name, girlie?" the taller teenager asked.

  "Annabella," she replied in a haughty tone of voice.

  "I'm Malkus." He saw the beautiful girls looking at him and decided to turn on the charm. "Pleased to meetcha." He held out his right hand.

  The petite girl stared at his big, meaty hand for a moment. He could easily crush her hand if he was a dick. But she wasn't going to back down now. With a look of disgust, Annabella reached out with her own hand because it was the polite thing to do. The people in the room were watching her, judging her. Thus, Annabella wanted to make a good impression on them.

  Malkus adroitly turned her hand and bent his head to kiss the back of her hand lightly.

  Annabelle was thoroughly grossed out and tried to rip her hand away from his lips.

  But his grip was too
strong for her. His hot breath warmed her cold skin. Finally, Malkus released her; a big smile appeared on his face.

  The girl was furious but held her emotions in check.

  Suddenly, a bright spotlight shone down on an altar, where a teenage boy was still laying on his back. He was nude, unlike the rest of the boys and girls in the chamber.

  The metallic voice spoke again. "10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1." When the countdown reached zero, the unresponsive boy was struck by a burst of lightning and his body started burning.

  People in the room cried out in alarm and watched in horror as the boy's body quickly turned to ash.

  A force field appeared and encapsulated the altar. A blue-ish light appeared inside the capsule for a few seconds. When the light was gone, the force field dissipated and no trace of the boy remained.

  "Do not be alarmed, my children," the metallic voice said. "The boy's rebirth failed. His soul did not transition with his body and it had to be removed from the rebirth altar. Now, two portals will open. Males shall exit through the blue portal. Females shall exit through the red portal."

  Two portals shimmered and appeared at the center of the room--the left portal was colored red while the right portal was colored blue.

  The teenagers followed the instruction given by the voice and started walking through the portals.

  1.2 - The Noob Academy,

  Lesson 1

  Schmendrick walked behind Malkus as the two went through the blue portal. While the two weren't exactly friends, Schmendrick felt that the other boy was someone Schmendrick could be partners with at this place and watch his back. Schmendrick didn't know what his old life was like but his gut feelings were kicking in now. It was telling him how to act and what to look for. He had to keep a low profile and blend into the crowd while carefully observing his surroundings to gather more information.

  They were transported to a classroom furnished in the style of a lecture hall, with each subsequent row of tables and chairs elevated so that students would have unobstructed views of the lecturer standing at the podium on the stage. The two boys took their seats toward the back of the hall. It was more of Schmendrick taking the lead and Malkus following.

  Again, Schmendrick was simply following his instincts. Sitting further back would provide a better view of his surroundings, particularly when the seats were elevated in this manner. Furthermore, he wanted to avoid interacting with the lecturer at the podium and needlessly draw attention to himself. There were too many unknown variables at the moment and his instincts were telling him to step as far back as possible. He took a quick count of heads; there were twelve of them in the classroom. Factoring in the catatonic boy killed in the rebirth chamber, this meant that there were twelve girls in the other classroom.

  When everyone was seated, a green portal opened and a man walked through it to stand on the stage. He was a middle-aged looking black man who wore a light tan and sleeveless shirt which displayed his thick arms, a green camouflaged pair of pants, and black boots.

  "Listen up! I am your instructor at The Noob Academy. You will listen. You will pay attention. Or else, you will be dead. Just like that sorry SOB who got nailed on his own altar. Your past lives are over. You have been reborn in a new world. And you will do your part to help us survive," the man lectured while pointing his fingers at the students for emphasis.

  "What's your name, sir?" someone called out.

  "I didn't give you permission to talk, numbskull!" the instructor replied angrily. "You!" he pointed at the boy who dared to speak and interrupt his lecture. "Come down here," he ordered.

  The lanky boy with long blonde hair casually rose from his seat and slowly descended the stairs. It took the boy a full minute to reach the stage.

  The instructor's eyes burned with fury but kept silent. When the boy finally stood in front of the man, the instructor punched the boy in the nose.

  The boy immediately collapsed on the stage; he was out cold.

  "You can't do that!" someone yelled in protested.

  The instructor offered an evil grin. His eyes roamed the rows and he looked at every single student sitting in the classroom. "I'm your instructor. You are my students. I can discipline you however I want." He kicked the downed boy's right foot. "This little prick took his sweet time in coming down. He made me wait and wasted my valuable time. He was punished for it. Now, someone please drag this little shithead off my stage!" The bulging veins in his neck were threatening to pop.

  The student seated closest to the stage ran toward his classmate and dragged him off.

  A few more boys left their seats and helped put the unconscious boy in the nearest chair.

  "I am your instructor. That is what you will call me. You scrubs haven't earned the right to know my name." The instructor typed into a transparent keyboard in front of his chest. A map appeared in the thin air before him. He put his hands together and slowly spread them apart. The holographic map began to expand in size until his hands stopped moving. "The green dot is where we are now. It's a city built by the Reborn and it is called 'Rezdi City.' The center of Rezdi is the Resurrection Chamber, which is similar in appearance and function to the Rebirth Chamber where you first appeared. Whenever we die in the Sanctum, we will be resurrected in the Resurrection Chamber. This is why we must protect that chamber at all costs."

  The instructor spread his fingers and the map zoomed out. "The area beyond the city is where we hunt, gather, mine, and farm. We call it the 'Recovered Land.' It is surrounded by bodies of water. The area is relatively safe compared to another region we will discuss in a moment. Depending on your Class and Skills, you may be assigned by the system to work in the Recovered Land." The map was zoomed further out. "Beyond the water, though, is a dangerous region. It is a wasteland known as 'The Shar.' It is a vast desert. Water is scarce. Shelters are the rocks and sand. There are ruins of an ancient civilization buried within The Shar. Brave scavengers explore these ruins and, on occasion, recover relics containing technology far superior to anything we possess in Rezdi City. Our best tinkers work day and night to unlock the secret of these relics and incorporate these recovered technologies for the betterment of our city."

  With a wave of his hand, the instructor closed the map and posted a picture. It was a monster.

  The students were alarmed when they saw it. It was a giant earthworm with yellow-orange colored scales and a wide mouth that could devour a whole person.

  "This here is a dune worm. The Shar is where these suckers live. They are blind but their sense of hearing is excellent. They can detect vibrations from deep within the ground as well. If you ever encounter one of these worms in the wasteland, your best bet is to stay still and pray that they can't hear your heart beats. We don't know how far the Shar extends, or whether there are any other Reborn settlements beyond the Shar. It is our hope that we will discover technology within the ruins that we can adapt and utilize to fight off the dune worms. That will pave the way for further exploration within the Shar."

  The instructor put his hands together and the hologram collapsed. "Okay, that's the end of the first lesson. We'll take a five-minute break and then continue on with the next lesson. You can sit, talk, stretch, or do something else. I don't care what the fuck you do because you ain't leaving this room until my lessons are finished. And the break starts NOW!" The man stepped through a green portal and disappeared from the classroom.

  When the instructor was gone, a hologram showing "5:00" appeared onstage and it started counting down.

  1.3 - The Noob Academy,

  Lesson 2

  When that awful bully was finally gone from the room, all the students seemed to exhale the collective breath they had been holding. The tension in the room immediately dissipated.

  Schmendrick slouched over his desk and turned his head toward his companion. "I'm feeling sleepy. Wake me up when that prick comes back," he requested.

  Malkus patted him on the back. "You got it. I'll go mingle and see if there's
anyone else worth joining our group."

  "Good idea, Malkus," Schmendrick replied and closed his eyes.

  * * *

  He was walking home from school when he came across a shell game on the street. Some fast-talking dude had set up a piece of cardboard over two empty milk crates stacked on the side. He watched intently as the street hustler shuffled three peanut half-shells quickly.

  A passerby took a Grant from his wallet. He picked up the left shell and it was empty. The guy offered a string of cuss words as he dropped the fifty-dollar bill on the cardboard. The money was quickly scooped up by the hustler.

  The observer quickly turned around. He walked down the block and entered the corner deli store he had passed by. He paid a buck for a small bag of peanuts and opened it while standing in front of the store counter. He cracked open a peanut and took out the two nuts. While holding the nuts firmly in his fingers, he put the bag of peanuts inside his book bag. Then he left the store.

  The shell game had started to attract a crowd. He observed the game from directly across the street. People were playing the game but losing more often than they won. Finally, he decided it was time to join the game. He took out a Hamilton from his back pant pocket and put the bill in his shirt pocket. He then palmed a peanut between his ring and pinky fingers inside each hand. He closed his hands as he crossed the street and approached the table.

  There was a group of kids watching and he stood behind a shorter kid. He observed the game for a few more minutes and then joined in when the shuffling stopped.

  The hustler gave him the evil eye and said, "Put your bet on the table first."

  He complied and dropped the ten-dollar bill. He then chose the peanut shell on the right, knowing that it was empty. As he slowly picked up the shell, he released the peanut was he palming between his two fingers.

  The crowd saw the peanut on the table. They started clapping and cheering. Someone said, "Pay up!" Others quickly joined the chant, "Pay up! Pay up! Pay up!"