Chapter 1

 I breathed in the cool mountain air as I walked up the thousand steps to the monastery.

I could feel the sun, blazing down on me, due to the fact that I am so close to the sun. But being so close to the sun had its price. I was reminded of it every time I inhaled. I continued up the steps getting closer with each step to my destination. I had just returned from America where I was visiting my family for the holidays. Unfortunately, I won’t be able to make it to Thanksgiving this year or Christmas. But What I’m working on is very important.

There is a story that Dr. John G. Trump, a professor at M.I.T. and friend of Nikola Tesla, found a 45 year-old piece that was supposedly a part of Tesla’s death ray. Rumor has it, that Dr. Trump took this device and found completed plans for a inter-dimensional teleportation device. It was called the Ignotum Cogitatus Eo or I.C.E. This translates into Unknown Device of Travel. The story goes on to say the Dr. Trump took the plans to the Shaolin Monastery on the peak of Mount Song in China.

As I make the last step, I am greeted by Abbot Lian Cheong. I was so relieved to see my old friend Abbot Cheong. I missed his orange robes and cryptic riddles.

As I approach him, I extend my arms with my right fist directly in front of my chest with my left hand covering my fist in greeting.

“Greetings, Shifu” ,I say as I bow.

“You may call me by name, Lucas”, he replies with a smile. “I take it you are here to look in our secret library?”

“Yes, Master Cheong.”

“Would you like to rest first, Lucas?”

“If you wouldn’t mind I would like to begin now. Is my room still available?”

“Of course. You can begin after you had a meal.”

“But it’s after noon”, I say astonished.

“We can make an exception for you”, he says with a smile. “Come. Follow me.”

After I have my meal, Master Cheong took me into secret entrance to the library. I see everything is as I left it three months ago except that there was fresh candles already lit and waiting for me to use their light.

“I’ll leave you with some peace and quiet. You can continue your search after morning meal tomorrow if your search isn’t fruitful.”

As he shut the door I sit down at the table and pull out some scrolls and begin to read them. Most are in Mandarin, but I am hoping to find the only English scroll in the library. I searched for hours but I was again at a loss. So I put the scrolls back and blew out the candles and retired to my room.

The next morning I awoke to the chanting of the Shaolin Monks. I found them relaxing as I laid in bed and stared at the ceiling. I then proceeded to dress go get some breakfast. When I was finished, I was met by Master Cheong.

“I take you didn’t find what you were looking for.”

“No, but I had a dream I found it today.”

“Dreams are very powerful. You will find it today.”

“Thank you, Master. I hope so.”

When I arrived at the library, I saw yet again fresh candles. I lit them and set to work. I poured over thousands of scrolls for hours. I was frustrated and in my anger, I slammed my fist down onto the table with enough force to break it. But it held under such power. I thought to myself, “That’s a strong desk.” Just then, I heard a faint click. I look around the desk and find a wooden cylinder had come loose. Inside was paper bound in a tight roll by a thin piece of string. I unrolled it to find Nikola Tesla’s finished blueprint…The Ignotum Cogitatus Eo. Excited I began to read it and read some references to other work. In the other pages I found the references , some by Leonardo Di Vinci, others by William James, Gregor Mendel, and Richard of Wallingford. I was ecstatic! In haste I grabbed my phone and started to take pictures of every paper. After I documented everything, I turned my phone’s video recorder on and hit record.

“This is Dr. Hunt. I’m at an undisclosed location, inside a secret library. I have just found Nikola Tesla’s Ignotum Cogitatus Eo. Including other great innovators of our time. I am now returning back to my lab in New York to analyze the data.”

After I say this into the camera, I set up a password on my phone and slip it back into my pocket. I grab the papers and roll them back up. I blow out the candles and head to my room to put the papers in a vacuum sealed tube for safe keeping. I then hurry outside to tell Master Cheong the good news. When I exit out into the courtyard, I see the sun is about to set. I check my watch on my wrist and see that its 5:15 P.M. I rush to Master Cheong’s private garden and find him meditating. I sit down in front of him and wait patiently. About a half hour later he opens his eyes and greets me.

“Have you been waiting long?” He says with a smile.

“No, not at all.”

“I see you still have patience. Did you find what you were looking for?”

“Yes, Master. I found it inside the desk.”

“Amazing! What are you going to do next?”

“Unfortunately, I must go home to America.”

“You can’t, you’ll never make it down the mountain in time to beat the storm. You can, of course, leave in the morning.”

“Then I regretfully must retire. Good night, Master Cheong.”

I hear him grunt a goodbye as I get up to leave. I walk back to my room and when I come to my door I hear rustling inside. I burst in the room ready to attack. Inside I see a monk that I have never seen before rummaging through my stuff. He looks up at me with an astonished look and quick as lightning drew a chinese sword*.

“The Ignotus Cogitatus Eo is mine! Where is it?”

“You cannot have it. Walk away and your life will be spared.”

With a wild yell he swung at me, missing my cheek by centimeters. I duck and rolled across the floor to the opposite side of the room and grabbed my sword off the wall, hanging above my bed. Attacked viciously again and again driving him back against the wall. He returned blow after heavy blow in a downward arc, forceing me back towards the wall facing the main courtyard. Because of the walls being made out of paper, I could her the monks chanting before bed. After my back was against the wall and I could go no further, one especially hard blow shattered my sword in half and with enough force to knock me through the paper thin walls and into the courtyard.

Reviews

[Emtinoklahoma]

Ignoring grammar, this is a fairly good chapter. Try to make the scenes flow better. What did the monk look like? What was the garden like? Does he read mandarin? Just my thoughts.

[Shadow]

Those are some really good ideas. I'll keep them in mind when I do my second draft.