Harmonics: Rise of the Magician - Young-Adult Dystopian Science Fiction Prologue

Harmonics: Rise of the Magician - Chapter 7

Houdini's Failed Escape

Time: Current Day, lunchtime

Scene: School lunchroom

                  "Mackie, your explanation of the attack patterns and weaponry clearly doesn't match the types of wounds inflicted or the residual chemicals and fragments found in the wounds. Not to mention the mapping of the bodies is all wrong."

                  What happened to this morning? thought Sam as she weaved through a group of classmates filling the tables in one of the school's many lunchrooms. Was I sleeping through my morning schedule or what?

                  It was just that type of morning. After the excitement of Richard's fight, she had run into Adam, made a complete fool of herself babbling like an idiot and being completely soaked, and since then was having a hard time focusing or thinking straight. It had been like this through History, English, Physics, and now lunch.  Well at least she was dry now.

                  Sam's thoughts were jumbled as she walked directly into the back of a boy's chair.  He ignored her, continuing to tinker with a holographic projection that took up the length of the table.

                  "You have the mental capacity of a drug addled Ganga. This is a precise and detailed execution of his attack map and his most likely weapon use. Watch again, but closer this time."

                  The boy tapped on the projected keyboard as the group refocused its attention upon the board. The animation was the kind that Graphic Show directors used to model scenes for Vii-movie experiences. What seemed to be the head boy at the table spoke at length about various things, tapping different buttons on the touch board. Periodic tables, diagrams of different weapons, and long names like Aikido and ninjutsu rolodexed their way across the length of the board, ending with a smiling face on a black screen. The boy who had been tapping spoke with a conspiratorial tone as the other boys and Sam leaned in.

                  "It's him. Watch the reenactment; there's no one else it could be."

                  Sam watched, fascinated as the lead boy tapped a large projected red button on his screen. The holo-board sprang to life as a strange, highly detailed fight sequence began to play out with five-inch holographic representations. Quite unique, the scene reminded Sam of the old classic Kung fu movies that were filmed before the rise of the Jade Empire. Sam watched as the main combatant did some impossible acrobatics including flips, kicks, walking on walls, and jumps of incredible height. Ordinary physics, including gravity, didn't seem to be an issue for the little avatar. But these impossible feats paled in comparison to his odd ability to seemingly pull weaponry out of nowhere. Blade weapons thrown with deadly accuracy, hand-held explosives, and strange concussive shockwaves ravaged groups of energy-blaster wielding guards.

                  The man's actions made Sam's mouth go dry. She refocused, zeroing in on the depiction. He was taller than the other little holo men and appeared to be very strong, as evidenced by the way he was cutting, shooting, and burning up assailants left and right with little or no hesitation. Something about him seemed surreal, like he was a work of fiction or part of some sci-fi adventure. His single-minded action was captivating.

                  The man's battle culminated in a fevered chase where the hero tracked down a second holo-man. Sam struggled to make out this part of the action. The holographic scale really didn't include infrastructure, making it hard to understand the venue and environment. It didn't matter though; the more she stared at the figures and the boys watching them, the more she could not help herself.  She wanted to know what was going to happen. The culmination of the scene came abruptly with the brutal destruction of the main character's target. While this made her cringe, it made the boys at the table cheer.