Author's Preface
Though they were surrounded by soldiers with assault rifles and tactical gear, Rowlo couldn't help but think to himself how easy it would be to fight their way out.
Peter reached for his blades, clearly thinking the same thing, but Rowlo quickly put out his hand in front of him, stopping him.
"...We'll go with you. We're innocent after all."
Zimmer let out a sigh of relief and gestured for the men to lower their weapons. The soldiers relaxed slightly and returned to their posts.
"Thank God. I'd rather not have to use force..." He adjusted his shades slightly. "Alright then. Come with me."
He led them toward a government vehicle. The windows were fully tinted, and it was clear the thing was heavily armored. Zimmer opened the door for them, and they all took a seat inside.
"Aren't you gonna like restrain us or something? I thought we were under arrest," Jaylia said, slightly confused.
Zimmer sat down in the passenger seat and gestured for the driver to take off. He looked back at them calmly.
"Restraints don't really work on your kind. It's either you come willingly or we take you out. That's just the way it is."
"Chuh... I'd have liked to see you guys try," Peter muttered.
Rowlo looked over at Zimmer, confusion written all over his face.
"What the hell is DETA... are you saying the government is covering up aliens?!"
Zimmer adjusted his shades again.
"Naturally. Though it's mostly at the behest of the Kudonians. Technically Earth is under their jurisdiction, so we follow their rules."
"They took our mentor, the doct—"
"Solomon, right?" Zimmer cut him off.
"Yeah. Your 'doctor' was in violation of countless laws, so they took him away. That's all. Aliens of any kind are not allowed on Earth unless approved by the empire."
The three of them scoffed slightly hearing this.
Slowly but surely, the vehicle began to drive out of the city and deeper into the Mojave Desert. Buildings were gradually replaced by sand, dry rock, and empty wilderness.
The further they went, the quieter things became.
Eventually, they reached what looked like a dead end. Ahead of them was nothing but desert stretching endlessly into the distance.
Zimmer picked up a communicator.
"Zimmer checking in. We're clear for entry."
Immediately, an invisible forcefield began coming down, revealing an enormous government complex hidden deep within the desert.
Rowlo's eyes widened slightly.
"...No way."
The vehicle drove forward as the barrier closed behind them once again.
Inside was an entire hidden facility bustling with activity.
Government officials moved quickly between buildings carrying files and devices. Soldiers in tactical gear patrolled the area while strange transport vehicles moved supplies across the complex.
But that wasn't what caught their attention the most.
There were aliens. Actual aliens.
Some looked almost human aside from unusual skin colors or glowing eyes. Others had subtle differences, extra arms, pointed ears, strange markings across their skin.
One blue-skinned alien in a black suit walked past casually holding a coffee cup while talking to a human employee.
Another with four arms typed rapidly across several holographic screens at once.
Peter stared out the window in complete disbelief.
"...Nah. Nah, this is insane."
Jaylia leaned closer to the glass.
"They've just been here this whole time?!"
The building ahead of them towered over the others, sleek and heavily fortified.
Across the front, large metallic letters read:
DETA
The flags outside waved in the desert wind.
The United States flag.
The U.N. flag.
And beside them...
A flag bearing three circles with a flame at the center.
The Kudonian Empire.
Rowlo stared at it silently.
"...Earth already belongs to them..."
The vehicle came to a stop outside the building. Zimmer stepped out, thanking the driver before opening the door for them.
The three of them walked out cautiously.
"This is..." Rowlo said, clearly at a loss for words.
"Welcome to DETA," Zimmer said, looking toward the building.
"You said you're innocent, correct? Then we need to know everything that has happened over the last few years. All your dealings with Solomon and your connections to any aliens."
He adjusted his shades slightly.
"The Director will decide what to do with you."
"...The Director?" Rowlo muttered.
As they walked inside, they couldn't help but notice the level of technology throughout the building.
Kudonians and humans worked side by side using holographic machines and displays. The elevators used some form of anti-gravity technology, silently floating up and down the building.
Nearby, a green-haired alien woman could be seen synthesizing a cup of coffee using what appeared to be some kind of food synthesizer.
Peter stared for a moment.
"...Nah, this is insane."
Jaylia looked around with wonder.
"All of this has been here the whole time... my God."
Zimmer led them up to the counter where he checked in with the receptionist. Afterwards, they piled into an anti-gravity elevator and headed up toward the Director's office.
As they approached, the doors opened automatically and seamlessly.
The Director sat at his desk with his back toward them, looking at several holographic displays projected across the walls. Images of battles on alien worlds and strange star systems flickered across the screens.
"Ahem... Director, I brought them just like you asked," Zimmer said.
"Thank you, Zimmer," the Director replied calmly.
Slowly, he turned his chair around to face them.
Rowlo's face immediately turned pale, stunned at what he was seeing.
Peter and Jaylia froze as well, completely shocked.
"...Da... Dad?!" Rowlo exclaimed.
The man grinned slightly.
"Heya kiddo. Seems you've had a rough few weeks, huh?"
Delo Kazan.
Director of DETA.
And the father of Rowlo Kazan.
Zimmer let out a sigh of relief and exchanged glances with Delo.
The two of them suddenly began laughing hysterically.
"Aw man, you probably had them scared as hell, Zimmer," Delo said, wiping tears from his eyes.
"I'm surprised none of those guys saw the resemblance honestly. Good thing though."
The three of them exchanged confused glances with one another.
"What the hell is going on..." Peter said in complete confusion.
"You're Rowlo's dad. This doesn't make any sense," Jaylia said, pointing toward Delo.
"Dad... what's going on? You knew about all of this? You told me you worked for the FBI. What..."
Delo got up from his chair with a small smile and gestured toward Zimmer.
"Hey, you mind getting them something to drink? Grab me something too."
"Yeah, sure," Zimmer replied before walking out of the room.
Delo looked back toward them.
"Time travel huh... wow. That's just wow."
He paused for a moment, clearly reflecting.
"Now, you guys did break Kudonian law, and so did Solomon, so we had to 'arrest' you guys to keep things above board."
Delo sniffled slightly as faint tears began to well up in his eyes.
Just then, Zimmer walked back in and handed everyone water.
Delo took a sip, trying to compose himself.
"Rowlo... kiddo... you know I owe Solomon my life. He cured me way back when. So I hid him. I hid him from the Kudonians for years."
He let out a deep sigh.
"But you guys just had to go build a time machine, huh? The one you built was temporally loud. Easy to track."
Rowlo paused for a second.
"I mean... I didn't know, but Dad... to think you knew Solomon was an alien this entire time."
Delo shook his head slightly.
"The Doc isn't just an alien. He's actually one of the Sprisen. Extradimensional beings that don't really come from any specific world."
Rowlo and the others recoiled hearing this.
"What?! People like that actually exist?!" Rowlo exclaimed.
"Yep. And their power can be turned into weapons of mass destruction."
Delo turned toward the holographic monitors, staring at the carnage displayed across the screens.
He cleared his throat, determination settling into his expression.
"The Kudonians are embroiled in a civil war. The empire has never been weaker."
He turned back toward them.
"A Kudonian immortal warlord named Kuso and his forces have been pushing the empire back, devastating countless worlds."
His expression darkened.
"If the Kudonians use Solomon's power, they'll be able to wipe out entire worlds... entire populations. And if Kuso ever gets his hand on that power, then I fear even Earth may be at risk."
"So we need to get him back then. That would stop this madness," Rowlo responded.
Delo nodded slightly.
"I need you guys to tell me everything that's happened. How long have you been gone from your perspective?"
The three of them began explaining everything that had happened over the last few months of their lives.
Japan.
Dreko.
The Red Hand.
Treason.
Everything.
After hearing it all, Delo plopped back into his chair and breathed out heavily.
"Damn... that's wow..."
"Perhaps they really can do it then, boss," Zimmer cut in.
Delo sat quietly for a moment before nodding.
"Yeah... the truth is DETA has been planning to send a crew to Kudos to negotiate with the throne. They've grown desperate in this war."
He looked directly toward Rowlo and the others.
"And honestly... I need you guys to bring Solomon back."
Delo smiled slightly to himself.
"To think my son is the Guardian of the Universe... wow."
He let out a quiet laugh.
"I thought that was just some old story Solomon used to ramble about."
He stood up from his chair.
"Anyhow, there are a few others who've been training to go as well."
A faint grin formed across his face.
"I think it's time you guys meet them."
Rowlo clenched his fists, a mix of excitement, fear, and determination building inside him.
"So I guess we're going to Kudos after all, huh."