Chapter Five: Sam receives the Pendant

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Sam, Rufus and June had just finished eating dinner when a beeping sound came from June's phone. 

"It's an email from Reegan! It's about his meet and greet tonight!" June shouted excitedly and proceeded to read the large text file out loud.

"Marshmallows will be roasted tonight at the campfire along with a special sneak peek at the next Volume of the book series The Races of People from the Star Nations coming soon to the people of Earth,"

"There's a list of fun activities too!" She shouted excitedly.

June scrolled down to the activities page.

"Pet a Cuteylelle."

"A giant furry flea like creature I believe," Rufus explained. His facial expression showed that he had no intention of petting a Cuteylelle.

"Meet Toido the Protolian?"June continued with the list. 

Rufus perked up.

 "I have read about Protolians! A mechanical race of beings from the star system of Protolia, They have a vast database of knowledge!"

June looked up at Sam who appeared interested, so she continued.

"Afterwards we will be doing feats of strength with a new machine invented by the Poladeans."

"Feats of Strength?" Sam asked June with great interest.

"Yeah it says - This is a prototype that unlocks human potential. Please fill out the attached consent form," Sam looked up at his father who gave him a disapproving look.

"Clear the table for our guests, son. I'll put it in the dishwasher," Bradley said.

"One moment please. I would like to scan the food before it is removed from the table," Rufus said.

Rufus scanned the leftovers which included sausage, corn, sauerkraut and potatoes that Bradley had prepared for dinner. He attempted to scan the sauerkraut but he was getting a red light.  "Hold it there! I fermented that myself! You can't make fermented food with those gadgets. . . . Not even E.T.'s can do that ya know," Bradley laughed.

"Sammy quick! It's Reegan's tv show I found it!" June shouted loudly at Sam who was in the kitchen loading the dishwasher. Sam ran over to the television room and sat on the couch next to Rufus and June as the show's intro began to play. 

The shows opening sequence was a montage of various clips showing the explorer Reegan facing dangers across the Galaxy. Each clip was exciting as it showed mountain climbing on an asteroid, Going over a water fall in a giant raft, surrounded by small alien creatures that seemed to look like alien monkeys stealing his back pack and hat. 

It ended with a dramatic shot of him looking up towards the stars.

"I'm Fenz Reegan, archaeologist and explorer. In my travels I have searched for clues to solving the greatest mysteries of the Universe, I often end up in some extraordinary situations, Join me in my search to uncover secrets in The Galaxy of the Unknown!"

A knock was heard at the door. Bradley answered the door to see that it was Elizabeth Peyton, June's mother. She was a woman in her late thirties with curly hair and wearing a blue dress.

"Hi Brad, I came by to pick up June and Rufus," she said as she played with her hair.

"Are you coming out to see Reegan tonight as well?" she asked with a smile.

"I got work up on my ship tonight," Bradley replied.

"Your Mom's here June, time to go," He turned around to shout.

"I can take Sam to the campsite for Reegan's gathering tonight if you don't mind," Elizabeth said as she tried to get Bradley's attention again.

Bradley had his back turned to Elizabeth as he waved at June and Rufus to come to the door quickly.

"Maybe some other time Liz," Bradley replied before he closed the door.

Sam looked out the front window and waved good bye to his friends. He felt disappointed that he could not go with them to the campsite.

"Cheer up son, I'll take you camping this summer," Bradley said.

Sam looked down, he was disappointed and believed that his father did not understand him.

"Ok Sam I'm off to work. . . Just got a routine patrol of the Solar System tonight and I'll be back in the mornin," Bradley said as he straightened his uniform in the mirror. 

He walked towards the jump gate room in the middle of the house. These jump gate rooms worked like the Gate Towers for vehicles. They allowed travel anywhere in the physical realm through holes that could be opened and closed in the fabric of space. Only these jump gate rooms were for the use of individuals travelling from one hospitable environment to another without a vehicle.

Sam was playing with his new claws by extending them out then retracting them back in when he noticed his father staring at his claws. 

But not with a look of surprise as Sam might have expected.

"Your Uncle is stopping by later to check up on you so don't go anywhere," Bradley told Sam as he walked toward the door.

"I wont," Sam replied and sighed then placed his hands in his pockets.

Bradley walked into the jump gate room and entered the address of his ship in orbit above Venus. The door closed and he was gone.

Sam was alone in the house that only he and his father lived in. He walked through the halls slowly passing by the many framed portraits of himself at various ages. Age one to age twelve all portraits showed no evidence of the encroaching deformities that had just recently become an unwanted part of Sam's life. 

He walked into the bathroom and looked in the mirror, he took off his toque.

"Why is this happening to me?" Sam complained as he reached into the drawer for the nail file. Sam looked at his claws holding the nail file in his other hand.

He began to think that having claws protruding from his fingers might cause even more awkward social situations yet he also thought of the benefits they would bring. His thoughts dwelt upon how people treated him and he wished that he could be accepted.

He wished that he did not have to hide under his toque. Sam threw the nail file back into the drawer.

Later that evening in the basement Sam was cleaning the laundry that was dirtied during the game along with some of his father's clothing. The dryer had just finished and he had placed the clothing into the folding machine. The folding machine was shaped like the dryer except only the items had to be sorted and placed in a funnel on top. The Machine had robotic arms on the inside that could fold whatever it was programmed to by the user.

As long as the items had appropriate tags positioned on fold lines it could fold anything. This machine could even find matching socks if they were tagged correctly and this was exactly what Sam was waiting for when his ears twitched.

Sam heard a sound from upstairs. Someone had just arrived in the jump gate room. They were ringing the bell as the room could only be opened from within by a key.

He realized there was company and he grabbed his toque.

"Aw man the paintball stained it," Sam complained as he saw the laundry machine did not clean off the paint. He placed it on his head and headed up the stairs. 

Someone was ringing the door bell many times which Sam thought was very odd so he decided to be cautious. He stood up on his tip toes to have a peek through the view hole.

It was Kenneth who was impatiently ringing the bell. Sam was contemplating not allowing him to enter the house until his uncle Andrew stepped forward. 

"Cease that, boy," Andrew said to Kenneth. 

"Open the door Sam I must speak to you,"

Sam opened the door and Andrew asked Kenneth to wait in the other room. Andrew was still dressed in his Admiral uniform. He walked into the front room and appeared very nervous as if spies were watching him. 

He closed the curtains to the windows.

"Is your father still home?" Andrew asked.

"He went to work already, he isn't here," Sam replied.

"I have something important to tell you and you will need to pay close attention," Andrew said as he began to pace back and forth nervously.

"Okay?" said Sam with a sarcastic tone.

"This is of the utmost importance!" Andrew shouted at Sam. Andrew calmed down a bit and then continued. 

"I will need you to accompany me tonight."

"We will be joining Ambassador Reegan at the campsite. A new device will be unveiled which I believe may be our only hope to stop. . . "

"Uh -Uncle Andrew, Dad said I can't go anywhere tonight." Sam interrupted.

Andrew appeared frustrated and began pacing back and forth again. He calmed down and looked up. 

"Yes, that is true he does not allow you to leave the house at night."

"I have something for you," Andrew reached into a pocket on the front of his uniform and pulled out a shiny gold pendant. Attached to the pendant at the end was a clear and round shaped jewel. 

Sam found the jewel to be mesmerizing. 

There was something about this pendant that lay in his Uncle Andrew's hands. 

It gave him a memory of being warm, safe and secure.

"What is this and why are you giving it to me?" Sam asked glaring at the jewel in awe of the splendid emotion it bestowed upon him.

"It was your Grandfathers. . . on your Mothers side," Andrew stated.

"My Mom?I thought you didn't know anything about. . . " Sam asked but was interrupted.

"Put it on quickly!" Andrew commanded as he handed Sam the pendant.

Sam quickly placed it around his neck. He looked closer at the pendant and noticed a symbol of that which looked like an ancient Egyptian cat. He touched the symbol and a spark came from his fingers which caused the jewel inside of the pendant to glow.

Andrew watched as this happened "It is as I thought!" he exclaimed.

"I cannot believe this!" Kenneth screamed as he stormed into the room. 

Kenneth had been watching Droneflag on the tv in the other room when they had just given a news update on the minor league divisions for Southern Ontario communities.

"Dad! The sports foundation wants me to have a rematch with freak boy here because the stupid camera drones malfunctioned."

"I won! This is not fair at all!" Kenneth shouted and appeared to be very angry and frustrated. Sam was still examining the jewel of the pendant in his hand.

Kenneth could see a smile on Sam's face as he gazed into the jewel. This made it to appear that Sam was not paying attention to Kenneth. Andrew watched with great interest as Kenneth approached Sam aggressively.

"You listen to me when I am talking!" Kenneth shouted as he grabbed Sam by the chin.

A strange feeling came over Sam as Kenneth held him down. Instinctively he took a deep breath in preparation for a sound he had never before made. 

Sam let out a huge ROAR! It was a tremendous threatening sound that bellowed from the depth of Sam's lungs causing Kenneth to fall to the ground. Kenneth picked him self up off the ground.

"Did you see that Dad! Can you believe this freak?" Kenneth shouted.

"Hold the jewel high Sam," Andrew whispered to Sam.

"You seem very upset my boy. What are you going to do?" Andrew said as he looked at Kenneth with a grin.

"I'm gonna remove that stupid toque for starters," He stomped towards Sam "Lets show my Dad your stupid ears," Kenneth shouted and ripped off Sam's toque throwing it to the ground.

"Now do it Sam!" Andrew yelled and Sam held the jewel high.

A light emitted from the jewel, shining brightly as a blue beam shot out from the center towards Kenneth and when the light had dissipated he was gone.

"Where did he go?" Sam asked his uncle while he looked left and right and then behind him. Andrew pointed to the jewel. Sam was astonished as what he beheld within the jewel that hung from the pendant around his neck was what appeared to be a very small Kenneth Gusterson.

"Let me outta here! Hey!" Kenneth screamed as he banged on the side of the jewel that he was trapped inside of. 

Sam was confused at first until he let out a burst of laughter. His eyes widened with amazement. "This is amazing Uncle Andrew!" he said as he excitedly shook the jewel.

"Whoa!" Sam exclaimed then looked up at his uncle Andrew to see a serious expression on his uncle's face. Sam calmed down and gathered his thoughts.

"Cool tech!"

"How much can I shrink and hold in here?" Sam asked.

"This is no technological device! It contains a mystically charmed enchantment."

"like Magic?" Sam asked.

"Yes, I suppose you could call it that . . . .  It is a very ancient magic," Andrew replied.

"Kenneth was not miniaturized. We are merely gazing upon another realm into which he was transported," Andrew explained.

Kenneth continued to hit the side of the jewel. Sam could hear him yelling "Lemme outa here!" with a faint voice.

"Why are you giving this to me now?" Sam asked.

"I will show you!" They both walked towards the living room and sat on the couch.

Sam could see that his uncle Andrew had some papers in a folder that had the words Stellar Eyes Only written on the cover. He pulled out what appeared to be a print out of the solar system.

"Do you see this dark spot here Sam?" Andrew said as he pointed on the print out towards the back of the star system. 

Sam nodded.

"This surveillance is from last week and this one approximately two hours ago."

Sam watched as his uncle Andrew pulled out another page from his folder. His hands trembled as he showed Sam. The dark spot was much larger and had approached further into the solar system towards Earth.

"What is the dark spot coming towards Earth Uncle Andrew?" Sam asked.

"Negatis."

Sam could see Andrew was very serious but he had questions. "What are Negatis?" he asked his Uncle. Andrew took a moment to pause and take a deep breath before he explained.

"A dark and ancient evil that has consumed entire galaxies. They are composed of many races of beings who have lost their freewill, now they are but mindless demons! Twisted and deformed  from what they once were and coerced by their master into committing acts of great evil" Andrew explained.

"What about the good E.T.'s are they going to save us?" Sam asked.

"Ha! those fools they are the ones who broke the Quarantine keeping her out! They believe her to be massing forces along their borders to wage war against their space, but it is a ruse! The other admirals are meeting right now to discuss on whether to share this intelligence with them, But I have chosen to fight the Negatis solely with the power of that Pendant!" Andrew explained.

"Fight an entire space fleet with magic? Uncle?" Sam asked with great concern in his voice.

"You have a special ability, a power that has activated the Pendant you are now wearing. It is my belief that this power can be multiplied from what the Poladeans are calling a healing device. It should help you to generate enough power to imprison their master and put an end to this threat once and for all."

"The Pendant will obey only your command. Only you can do this!"

"Does this have something to do with what is wrong with me? Why I have a tail and claws and my ears are all messed up like this?" Sam asked.

"You got deformities," Kenneth quipped in his small voice. 

"And what do you know about my Mom?" Sam asked.  

Andrew seemed irritated. He did not want to answer any more questions.

"Come we must go now there is little time! And I will need to borrow your father's vehicle," He pointed towards a set of keys on the wall. 

"But come on just tell me Uncle Andrew!" Sam complained.

"After the gathering! Now go get the keys! We are going," Andrew was finished with trying to convince Sam. He ran to get the keys and was very excited.

"Can't believe I get to meet E.T's tonight!" Sam exclaimed as he grabbed the keys.

"You will just scare them away freak boy!" Kenneth quipped again in a small voice.

They headed towards the front door when Andrew turned around.

"One last thing. . . . . We will need to let Kenneth out."

"If you wish to release him and he wishes to be released it will be done."

"Do I have to?" Sam asked but his Uncle gave Sam a stern look.

"Unfortunately yes as the Pendant won't function unless it is emptied," Andrew replied.

"Oh alright!" Sam thought of releasing Kenneth and it was done.


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