Infinity Gate-Chapter One

In a far, far future possibly our own humanity is pushed to desperation by the death of their planet and the Arren family offers them a hope. New life in new colonies in parallel dimensions.

Intro

In the far future, on an Earth perhaps our own, humanity stood in danger of absolute extinction. They had learned technology vast, but in the process they had destroyed their home. Desperate they looked for a way out. There was talk of colonizing other planets, building great ships to try and take them to another home, but the Earth was too stripped of resources. There was no fuel for the ships needed, and little left to build them in the first place. They were trapped. Then there was a bolt of hope out of nowhere. Professor Arren, a retired scientist, and part time teacher created a device, the Infinity Gate. With it, it was possible to open a portal to a parallel dimension; to an Earth untouched by humans, to an Earth in the time of dinosaurs, even to an Earth so similar

to their own, as to be the same.  The Professor offered his device freely to help move all of humanity to safety, in worlds where the Earth was still whole and green. There were only a few big governments in power at that time, and they all courted Professor Arren, wanting him to give only them the power, then at his refusal, they plotted against each other and him to steal his device but Professor Arren had built his device with a fail safe. It only worked for the members of his family, only those with his genetic code.

In the end, all were forced to acquiesce to the will of the Arren family, and the peoples of Earth were sent to start new lives in great colonies. There to build new futures for themselves, new cultures and new worlds.

Prologue

Atop a hill overlooking the sea two men stood. One looked out across the grey blue water, while the other stood warily behind his eyes on the small fishing village below.

"Lord Arren?"

"Does the sea not look vast here, the droplets all flow together there is too much, you see nothing but waves," Lord Arren turned lifeless eyes to his servant Torch and with a solemn expression he said, "Be sure of it this time," then turned away.

Behind him a ripple appeared in the air, and two huge forms flowed out. Taller than a horse, they were clearly predators, with dappled skin, 7 inch talons and sharp wicked looking teeth.  A cunning intelligence glowed in their eyes. They glanced briefly at the dark-haired man a strange expression twisting their faces, then they turned and snarled at his white haired servant before they took off at a run for the village below.

Torch was gone like a flash behind them, running with a predatory grace that matched their own, his long white hair streaming behind him and the light glinting softly off his weapons.

Soon screaming echoed up to the hill from the village below, and Lord Arren returned his gaze to the sea.

"So many droplets, I cannot see them, only the ebb and flow, only the crash of waves. It is too much."

The corners of his mouth turned down slightly as he pondered this thought, and the wind ruffled his dark, dark brown hair.

Chapter One

Grae cursed a little under his breath as he balanced the over-full wheelbarrow, and pushed it down the hill. Technically he should have filled it only half this full, and taken two trips, but Grae hated dumping the wheelbarrow much more than the mucking out itself, and well perhaps, he admitted to himself, he really was just as lazy at heart as his father believed. Reaching the pile he heaved the wheelbarrow up and over to empty it completely, then stood for a moment gazing out at the farm.

It was the end of spring, the beginning of summer and the land was green and lush, and full with the scent of flowers. The Valley was a beautiful place, and Grae truly loved it. From the wide green of the valley itself, dotted with lakes, and cut down the middle by a great river, full of little creeks and streams, to the hills around, wooded and lush, and full of life, even to the great mountains in the surround, still white capped with snow, Grae loved it all. Even growing up here, he was still awed by the beauty of this place.

Turning away from the scene to replace the wheelbarrow in its usual spot, Grae felt a familiar restlessness creep up from inside him.

"What was it he wanted, what was lacking?" Not even Grae knew the answers. With a sigh, he turned to the rest of his chores.

"Grae, sit down a moment, we should talk." Grae's father Hadah ordered the moment he stepped in the house.

Grae eyed his father with some trepidation. He'd not earned a lecture as far as he was aware, but his fathers face indicated Grae would not like to hear whatever he was about to say.

"Are you sure you don't wish to marry the goat farmer's daughter?" His father asked. Grae blinked in surprise at the question. He'd thought the matter already settled.

"I can't marry her, father." he replied.

"Are you sure son?" his mother Saybel queried, "She is a good friend to you is she not?"

"Uh too good a friend Mother, it would be...it just wouldn't feel right." Grae said with some exasperation. He'd had this conversation with his parents before.

"Then you will go to your uncle's" his father stated.

Grae was once again surprised.

"Uncle Ash?” He asked shocked.

His father nodded.

"But Uncle Ash hates me!" Grae exclaimed, "You wish me to leave the Valley?"

He looked pleadingly from his father to his mother. Never in any of his wildest imaginings did Grae think his parents would actually kick him off the farm. After all, he was good at farm work and did well with his chores, even if he was reluctant about doing them.

"Graeven, you are not happy here," his mother started her face anxious and sad.

"We've run out of options Grae," His father interrupted, “We tried three different apprenticeships, all of which I had to pay back for their lost time, and the priest with the book learning. There's nothing more we can try here in the Valley. You've not found a thing you're good at, or that you want to try. What else are we to do?"  Hadah paused for a moment to look Grae right in the eye,  "Your uncle has agreed to find you opportunities in the city. Maybe there you can finally find what it is you seek."

It was the longest speech Grae could ever remember his father making and there was a ring of finality to it.

In the morning Grae was packed and ready to go.

"You'll travel to the city with Arden Hevenson. He's your friend, correct?"  Grae's mother asked him as he saddled Freya, his dapple grey mare.

"Yes," Grae replied startled, "Why...what... Arden is going to the city?" he stammered a bit, surprised at the very thought. Arden was nearly 10 years older than Grae.  He'd married his wonderful wife Corla when Grae was only 10 and moved into the lands beyond their farm. For Grae, who had always been a bit isolated on the farm, Arden and Corla became his only real friends.  He spent much of his free time with them, or out in the hills gathering roots and special plants for Corla, who needed them to make the dyes for her fine weavings. When their first child Keera, a bright eyed little girl had been born, Grae feared that they would have no more time for him, but instead, he'd been named the child's uncle and he'd grown to love her fiercely.

"He's going to search for a merchant who can offer them a proper price for Corla's weavings," his mother answered, interrupting his thoughts.

"Oh," Grae exclaimed by way of a reply. It was true, the Merchants that traveled to the valley in great caravans all summer hadn't known what to make of Corla's exotic weavings. They came for the produce and grain the valley produced.  

"If he can find a good buyer, that would do much to bring in coin for them," Grae stated, and his mother nodded in answer.

Grae tightened Freya's girth one more time and then turned to his mother, uncertainty in his eyes.

"I..." he started, then paused unsure of what he was going to say.

He was startled to see his mother look almost teary. She only rarely showed such emotion. The sight filled his heart with foreboding.

"Do not give Arden any trouble on the trip," She told him abruptly, "and be sure to listen to my brother," she added, then turned and rushed in the house.

Her departure left Grae feeling very alone.

"Why is Mother so upset?" he asked himself.  Grae looked around, but of course, his father was nowhere to be seen. He took one more long look around the farm before mounting Freya and starting off.

Grae felt the tension leave his shoulders as he crossed the border between his family’s farm and the Hevenson's. Tears were trickling embarrassingly down his cheeks, but he blamed them on the cool morning wind.  He scrubbed at his cheeks with one arm, as he guided Freya up the twisty path.  He didn't want Arden to see.

A few minutes later, he broke out of the woods and picked up a trot, working his way along the edges of Arden's fields. As he came around the last corner, he could see their farmhouse ahead and Arden out front saddling Conner, his saddle horse.  Somehow seeing his friend getting ready made the whole thing real for Grae and he felt his chest get very tight. Tears started in his eyes again, so he forced Freya into a faster trot, and let the wind race against his face.

When he reached the farmhouse, Arden walked over and took hold of Freya's bridle.

"Come on down Grae. We'll have some breakfast before we leave. If I know your family, you probably didn't eat a bit this morning," Arden said gently.

Grae grimaced, and tried to hide his expression by turning to slide down from the saddle.

"Go on in," his friend ordered, "Corla is waiting for you."

Grae rushed into the house, feeling much younger than his 17 years. He was supposed to be a man now, not this useless crybaby. His father must be right about him.

Before he'd gotten two steps inside the house, he felt himself wrapped up in warm strong arms.

"Grae, Grae, it's all right. Why are you crying?" soft words in a soft voice, "It's okay to miss us while you are gone, but you are coming back!" Corla said.

Grae felt emotion rush through him, and then suddenly release.

"I'm okay now," he told Corla, taking a step back from her. Corla's green eyes were suspiciously bright as she searched his, then she gave him a crooked smile.

"You're going to have an adventure Grae," she said, "you're going to see more than this Valley, learn and grow. This will be good."

Grae was unsure if that would be true. Granted, there were more opportunities in the city, but Uncle Ash was likely to make his life very uncomfortable. He could still remember meeting his uncle for the first time. The handsome man had looked at him and then scowled blackly.

"This cannot be your child Saybel" he'd said with scorn, "Is he as useless as you say?" his Uncle had asked, and the 8 year old Grae had burst into tears and then hid. Grae winced at the memory then he felt a small weight thunk into the back of his legs.

"Uncle Grae, don't go!" shouted little Keera.

Grae turned immediately and swung her up to his hip.

"Hush Keera, I won't be gone forever," he soothed her, and suddenly he knew it to be correct, "I can come back when I'm done?" he said half in question.

"Of course silly, that's kinda the point," Corla said to him with a crooked grin.

Suddenly Grae felt a surge of relief, and more than that, of joy. Why had the thought he was being forced to leave forever? How silly of him.

When Arden came in to join them, Grae was already working his way through his second plate of food.

"I see you worked it out with him for me," Arden smiled at his wife fondly.

"Of course! Naturally!" Corla grinned back, "As usual he'd just gotten a crazy idea in his head, and Keera and I needed to double team him to get it out."

Grae winced a bit, and gave them a sheepish smile. His two friends knew him, and understood him better than he understood himself.

"I was just..."Grae trailed off, and then with another sheepish look went back to shoveling food in his mouth.

"Be sure to visit the Weavers Guild," Corla turned her attention to Arden.

"Yes wife, you have already reminded me," Arden answered.

Corla looked suddenly nervous, and rested her hands on her lower stomach, "I just want...please be home as soon as you can," she said softly.

Arden took three quick strides over to her, and wrapped her in his arms.

"I'll be home long before the babe comes, it will be okay Corla," he murmured to her, "Hadah will help you with the farm, and the two Herick boys will come as well," he continued, "I'll be home soon."