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About the
Author
Chris Petroff was born in
Melbourne
,
Australia
, in 1977. He has a Bachelor of Accounting from
Monash
University
and is currently working as a Chartered Accountant for a large accounting firm
in
Melbourne
. He also has a Diploma of Music from the Australian Music Examinations Board
and is an experienced piano player and composer.
Chris has always had an interest in
physics and scientific theories of the universe. Furthermore, as a child, he
loved to escape to the mysteries and adventures of the new worlds created in
children’s fantasy books. It is the combination of these two interests that
inspired Chris to write.
Chapter
1: The End
The evil
clones of Vespadore gathered once again in the central cavern. It had been six
long years since they had attacked and destroyed Celestine. During that time,
they had waited patiently, advancing their cloning technology and building more
powerful weapons. Now there were almost twice as many clones, each as ugly and
as depraved as the next.
The central cavern had been enlarged to accommodate all of the clones and
the balcony had been re-built since its destruction six years ago. Ever since
the people of Celestine had escaped, the clones had been forced to work for
themselves. And as they did so, their anger increased and their plans became
more sinister. Their determination and thirst for revenge had grown out of
control. Now, they were ready to implement their plans, and they would stop at
nothing to achieve their goal.
The leader of the clones suddenly emerged from the darkness and appeared
on the balcony. There was cheering and applause from the clones below. The
leader removed the hood of his black cloak, revealing his yellow, crusty face
covered in pulsating boils. His red eyes were glowing in the dark and slowly
expanding as he began his speech.
‘The
time has come,’ he roared. ‘We
are ready to attack Earth II!’
The leader’s voice echoed off the walls of the cavern and the crowd
erupted into a vicious frenzy of support. The cheering and applause was so loud
that it was almost deafening. But with one wave of the leader’s hand, there
was instant silence.
‘Do
not forget our plans,’ he warned. ‘This
time we take no prisoners. Our mission is to kill everyone on Earth II so that
we can take over the planet and claim it as our own. But that is only the first
step. After we have taken over Earth II, we will attack all the other planets,
one by one, until the entire galaxy is ours.’
The clones began to chant in unison, their voices rising in a steady
crescendo. Then the leader removed his laser gun from beneath his cloak and
fired it into the air. The crowd cheered with excitement.
‘Prepare
for battle,’ screamed the leader, as large pieces of rock broke
away from the roof and crashed down into the crowd. The pieces of rock smashed
against the dusty floor of the cavern, causing a huge cloud of dust to rise into
the air.
By the time the dust had cleared, all of the clones had lifted down their
hoods and removed their laser guns from beneath their cloaks. The boils on their
faces were pulsating furiously and their glowing red eyes were burning like
small flames, lighting up the entire cavern.
‘Attack!’
roared the leader, pointing towards the exit.
The clones immediately began to march out of the central cavern, still
cheering and shouting. Their passion and hatred were overflowing. They had the
most powerful army in the galaxy and the ability to destroy almost anything in
their path.
Soon, all the clones had exited the central cavern, leaving only a
deathly silence, and four stunned intruders. The evil clones of Vespadore were
about to begin their long-awaited mission, and the blood of thousands of
innocent people was about to be spilled!
*
* * * *
It was Penny’s sixteenth birthday. She woke at the crack of dawn, as
the sun came beaming through her bedroom window. She was excited and eager to
begin the day, so she leapt out of bed and quickly showered and dressed, making
just enough noise to wake up Sue-Anne and Meredith. Then she strolled over to
the window and opened it up wide, allowing the warm air to drift into her
bedroom. She could smell the beautiful flowers below, which were in full bloom,
and she could hear the musical chirping of the bluebirds in the nearby trees.
From her second-storey bedroom window, Penny had a perfect view. To her
left, she could see the rows of houses that lined the cobble-stone street where
she lived, each house resembling a cosy cottage with immaculate gardens and
lawns. In the distance, Penny could see the skyscrapers of the city, which were
gleaming in the sunlight, against a backdrop of rolling hills and mountain
ranges. To her right, Penny could see the inviting shores of the ocean, with its
rich blue water and white foaming waves. And directly in front of her, Penny
could see the neat little cottage that was occupied by Trudy, Carlos, Darcy and
Sebastian. As Penny stared at the cottage, a figure appeared at the
window.
‘Happy birthday,’ called a voice. It was Darcy. She was leaning out
the window and waving excitedly at Penny.
‘Thanks, Darcy,’ called Penny, waving back at her.
Sebastian suddenly appeared at the window next to Darcy, followed by
Trudy and Carlos. They were all waving frantically and wishing Penny a happy
birthday.
‘Are you three coming over for breakfast?’ asked Trudy, wiping her
hands on her apron and waving a spatula in the air. ‘I’ve made my special
omelette. I know how much you love it.’
‘Of course we are,’ called Penny. ‘We’ll be there soon.’
And with that, Penny spun around and raced towards the bedroom door. But
as she did so, she knocked a photo frame off her bedside table, which crashed
onto the wooden floor. Penny gasped. She leaned down and picked up the frame.
The glass had a large crack down the middle. She slowly removed the broken glass
and stared at the image in front of her. It was a photo of Zac.
Penny was suddenly overcome by sadness. It had been years since she had
seen Zac. Together, they had reunited the people of Celestine with the people of
Earth II. They had managed to overcome the prejudice and discrimination that the
people of Earth II had shown towards those who had been contaminated by the
poisoning. It had been a hard battle, and Penny and Zac had fought side by side
for a long time, until the people of Celestine had eventually been granted their
rights as equal citizens. But then, just as the two races were beginning to live
in harmony once more, Zac had disappeared without a trace. Now Penny was
starting to wonder whether she would ever see him again.
‘Zac, where are you?’ whispered Penny to herself, as she ran her
fingers gently over the photo.
Her thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a playful knock at her bedroom
door. Then a mass of long, red, curly hair appeared and Meredith ran into the
room and gave Penny a hug.
‘Happy birthday, Penny,’ said Meredith, with her usual cheeky grin.
‘Quick, come and get your present.’
Meredith grabbed Penny by the hand and led her out of the bedroom. Penny
threw the photo frame on the bed and closed the door behind her. She decided not
to think about Zac any more. It was too upsetting.
Penny and Meredith ran down the stairs and were greeted by Sue-Anne, who
was holding a small box wrapped in shiny red paper. Sue-Anne kissed Penny on the
cheek and wished her a happy birthday. Then she handed Penny the box.
‘It’s a joint present, from Meredith and me,’ said Sue-Anne. She
looked anxious for Penny to open it. ‘I hope you like it.’
Penny began to unwrap the present, ripping the paper carelessly and
tossing it onto the floor. What would be inside the box? Judging by the size, it
would have to be something quite small. Maybe the keys to her first car! Penny
couldn’t wait to get her driver’s license. Meredith had been giving her
lessons on the weekends, and Penny had already decided that she wanted a car as
soon as possible. And she didn’t really care what type of car it was, as long
as it was red.
The shiny red paper! Was that a clue?
With her excitement about to overflow, Penny ripped away the final piece
of wrapping paper and lifted the lid on the box. She peered inside. Her heart
skipped a beat. There was something sparkling in there. What was it?
Penny looked closer. But just as the gift was about to be revealed,
Penny’s body suddenly became paralysed with fear. She sensed something elusive
enter the house – an icy-cold draught, which chilled her to the bone. The
clock on the wall suddenly stopped ticking and a series of high-pitched
screeching sounds filled her mind. Then, the box in Penny’s hands suddenly
vanished into thin air, and the images around her began to twist and bend like a
kaleidoscope. It was like something from a horror movie.
A look of terror came over Meredith’s face. Then, without warning, she
lunged forward with her arms outspread, forcefully pushing Penny and Sue-Anne to
the floor. Too shocked to move, Penny and Sue-Anne made no attempt to struggle.
They simply stared at each other, their eyes wider than ever before. For a few
seconds, there was complete silence, and time itself seemed to temporarily
cease. Penny knew that something disastrous was about to happen, and that there
was nothing they could do to stop it.
Meredith looked nervously around the room. Then she lifted her head and
tilted it to one side, as if she were listening to imaginary voices coming from
the sky.
‘I knew it,’ she whispered to herself. ‘The end is here!’
*
* * * *
The first bomb hit Earth II with the force of a million tornados. Then
three more bombs followed. Day suddenly became night. The ground shook violently
and the oxygen was sucked into oblivion. The entire planet was enveloped by an
enormous fire ball, which travelled across the ground and through the air at the
speed of light. The sky was filled with black smoke, thicker than a blanket.
Most people were still asleep in their beds as they were instantly burnt to a
crisp.
It was all over within seconds, leaving only the empty streets, filled
with the charred remains of cars, houses and buildings. Earth II had been almost
completely annihilated. But somehow, Penny, Meredith and Sue-Anne had survived.
Penny lifted her head. She was struggling to breathe and her vision was
blurry. She looked around the room, trying to process the distorted colours and
images that were flashing before her eyes. She saw two figures in front of her
that looked vaguely human. Penny reached out to touch them, but her arm
disappeared into the sea of colours. Eventually, as Penny’s brain started to
process what was happening, the images around her became clear. The two figures
in front of her were Meredith and Sue-Anne. Meredith did not seem injured. But
Sue-Anne had a deep gash in her leg, from which blood was pouring furiously onto
the floor. Meredith was desperately trying to stop Sue-Anne’s leg from
bleeding, but the wound was much too big. In fact, most of the skin and muscle
had been ripped away, leaving a gaping hole down almost the entire length of her
leg.
Penny tried to understand what had just happened. There had been a
deafening explosion, followed by a flash of red light. Then there had been a
ringing sound and everything had gone dark. Could it have been an earthquake? Or
maybe an accident at the nuclear power plant? No. Deep down, Penny knew what had
happened. It was something that she had been dreading for years. The clones of
Vespadore had finally come for their revenge.
Meredith gave up trying to stop Sue-Anne’s leg from bleeding and
suddenly turned to face Penny. ‘We have to get out of here,’ she warned.
‘The clones will be looking for survivors.’
Sue-Anne’s body began to slump. She had lost so much blood that her
face and lips were pale white. She looked like she was about to lose
consciousness, and the wound on her leg seemed to be getting worse by the
second, extending and expanding as if an invisible chemical was burning away her
skin. She must have been struck by something during the explosion. And from the
look of it, she would be dead within minutes!
‘Leave me ... here,’ spluttered Sue-Anne, clutching at her leg.
‘I’m as ... good as ... dead. I’ll only ... slow you down.’
Penny was determined to prevent Sue-Anne from giving up, so she spun
around and grabbed her by the shoulders. ‘There’s no way we’re going to
leave you here, Sue-Anne,’ she said sternly. ‘Now stand up and follow me!’
Sue-Anne was so shocked by Penny’s tone that she momentarily forgot
about the excruciating pain in her leg and somehow managed to regain her
composure. Meredith and Penny quickly got into position on either side of
Sue-Anne and hoisted her to her feet. They linked their arms together and held
onto Sue-Anne tightly, while she wobbled and swayed, trying to keep her balance.
Then, ignoring the gushing river of blood that trailed behind them, they moved
slowly across the room towards the front door, with Meredith and Penny
supporting Sue-Anne like a giant pair of crutches.
Emerging from the smoke and ashes like phoenixes, the three of them
crossed the front lawn and looked back at the house, which had become nothing
more than a burnt-out shell, full of smouldering debris. With instant relief,
they collapsed onto the cobble-stone street, where the air was slightly easier
to breathe. Suddenly, they heard muffled cries coming from beneath a pile of
debris. Penny and Meredith rushed over to the pile of debris and began to
carefully sift through it. As they did so, the cries became louder and louder,
until eventually the faces of Darcy and Sebastian were revealed.
‘You’re alive! 'screamed Penny, wrapping her arms around them and
lifting them from the rubble. Darcy and Sebastian were covered in deep cuts, as
if they had been thrown through a glass window. Penny immediately started to
examine their wounds, but was interrupted by a desperate cry from Meredith, who
had disappeared around the corner.
‘I need some help,’ she called. ‘Carlos and Trudy are trapped.’
‘Wait here,’ instructed Penny to Darcy and Sebastian. Then she ran
around the corner to find Carlos and Trudy trapped underneath a large slab of
concrete. Meredith was trying in vain to lift the slab. Carlos and Trudy were
wriggling their bodies trying to escape, but they were completely pinned against
the ground, their faces squashed into the dirt.
‘Look out!’ called Penny, as she stared at the slab of concrete,
instantly feeling the familiar fire burning behind her eyes. Meredith jumped out
of the way just in time, as the flash of light shot through the air, causing the
slab of concrete to explode and crumble into a pile of dust.
Penny’s powers were now second nature to her. She had perfected her aim
and precision so that she was capable of moving enormous objects within
millimetres of her target. She had even started giving lessons to Darcy and
Sebastian. But their powers were nowhere near as strong as Penny’s.
As the dust settled, Carlos and Trudy picked themselves up off the ground
and limped over to Penny and Meredith. They looked shaken and bruised, but
everything seemed to be intact.
‘We’re okay,’ sighed Carlos. ‘The concrete slab protected us from
the flying debris.’
Suddenly, Darcy and Sebastian came running around the corner and hugged
their parents. Trudy broke down, collapsing to the ground in tears.
‘I can’t believe we’re still alive,’ she sobbed. ‘It feels like
the end of the world. We should all be dead!’
Penny looked around. Trudy was right. How could they still be alive?
There were no other survivors in sight. There was only debris and flames as far
as the eye could see. Perhaps they were dead. Or was this just a dream?
Penny was confused. Everything was happening so quickly.
Eventually, Trudy stopped crying and got to her feet.
‘There might be some things that we can salvage,’ she said
optimistically, as she headed towards their smouldering cottage, which looked
like it was about to collapse. Penny knew that there would be nothing to salvage
and she opened her mouth to say so, but changed her mind at the last moment.
Trudy needed to see for herself. Carlos, Darcy and Sebastian followed Trudy
cautiously into the cottage, and they soon disappeared from view.
Penny looked at Meredith. Her beautiful red hair was filled with black
soot and her face was badly bruised. But her eyes were as bright as ever, and
Penny knew that whatever happened, she could always depend on Meredith. Penny
may have been able to turn concrete into dust, but Meredith had the spirit and
determination to move mountains. And as long as Meredith was by her side, Penny
would always have the strength to keep fighting.
Suddenly, Penny remembered Sue-Anne and she was filled with guilt and
anguish. How could they have left her alone? She was the most injured of them
all. Penny grabbed Meredith by the hand and they rushed back to the cobble-stone
street, where they had left Sue-Anne.
As they approached the street, Penny’s heart sank. Sue-Anne was lying
motionless on the ground, her body surrounded by a pool of blood. Meredith and
Penny looked at each other. Tears were forming in Meredith’s eyes. Both of
them were too scared to go any closer. Deep down, they knew that their fears
would be true.
Finally, Penny summoned the courage to approach Sue-Anne, and as she did
so, a type of rage and defiance started to grow inside her. She refused to
believe that Sue-Anne was dead. She would not let the clones of Vespadore win.
She had fought so hard to protect her people and her planet, and she was not
ready to give up. Sure, Penny and Sue-Anne had not always seen eye-to-eye. But
over the years they had established a mutual respect for each other, and despite
their occasional squabbles, they had always looked out for each other. After
all, they were family. And that was the most important thing.
Penny knelt down beside Sue-Anne and gently lifted up her head. Her face
was as white as a ghost, and her eyes had glazed over and rolled backwards.
Miraculously, Sue-Anne was still alive – but only just!
‘Stay with me,’ pleaded Penny. ‘Stay with me, Sue-Anne. Please hold
on. We’ll get you to a hospital. You’ll be all right.’
Sue-Anne’s breathing became shallow and weak. The wound on her leg had
severed a major artery, causing blood-loss that would be impossible to survive.
It was too much for her heart – her body was about to shut down. But the rage
and defiance inside Penny continued to grow, until they reached a level that she
had never felt before. Adrenaline was pumping through her veins like fire, and
her whole body was pulsating rhythmically.
All of a sudden, Penny looked down to see a glowing light coming from her
hand. It was the Golden Ring of Celestine, which she had worn around her finger
for years, and which had saved her life in the underground caverns of Vespadore.
It had never shone this brightly before. And it had never given her such a
feeling of strength. As Penny stared at the ring, golden rays of light began to
radiate from it. The rays of light rapidly became brighter and more intense,
spreading across her fingers like wildfire. Soon her entire hand was glowing.
Penny couldn’t believe her eyes. It was as if she had suddenly put on a
magical glove – a golden glove, full of energy and power.
Sue-Anne closed her eyes and took her final breath. Penny instinctively
knew what to do. She lifted her glowing hand and moved it towards the wound on
Sue-Anne’s leg. As Penny placed her hand on the wound, golden rays of light
suddenly filled the sky. Penny felt her overwhelming strength being transferred
to Sue-Anne, and the wound on Sue-Anne’s leg began to heal. Muscle and tissue
began to re-appear, and pieces of broken skin began to fuse themselves back
together. Penny had never seen anything like it. From afar, Meredith watched in
disbelief, convinced that she was witnessing a miracle. Eventually, the golden
rays of light faded and Penny fell to the ground, exhausted and gasping for
breath.
Sue-Anne opened her eyes. The wound on her leg was gone and her strength
had been restored. She had been saved. But at what price?
Penny was completely drained. The transfer of energy had almost killed
her. Her entire body felt numb and images of Rose and Hugo were flashing before
her eyes. She was so exhausted that she forgot what was going on around her and
drifted into deep unconsciousness.
*
* * * *
‘Wake up, Penny. We have to get out of here!’
Penny slowly opened her eyes. Looking down at her was someone very
familiar. It was Zac! He had a huge smile on his face, but there was a sense of
urgency in his voice.
‘Hurry up,’ he pleaded, grabbing Penny’s hand and lifting her to
her feet. ‘The clones are on their way.’
Penny felt slightly dizzy, but she wasn’t sure if it was due to the
strange healing process that she had just experienced, or the shock of finally
seeing Zac again.
‘Where did you come from?’ demanded Penny, looking around anxiously.
‘And where have you been all this time? I thought you were dead. Why didn’t
you contact me?’
‘There’s no time for questions,’ said Zac, impatiently. ‘I’ll
explain everything later. But right now, we need to get out of here.’
Penny heard a loud explosion in the distance and the sound of heavy
footsteps. Then she heard the sound of laser guns being fired. The clones were
almost upon them. Somehow, the clones knew that they had survived. And they were
not happy about it!
Meredith and Sue-Anne suddenly appeared, followed closely by Carlos,
Trudy, Darcy and Sebastian. They were all looking very nervous as they stared at
Zac, waiting for his instructions. Penny was amazed to see that Sue-Anne had
been completely healed. Penny looked down at her hand. It was no longer glowing.
She stared at the Golden Ring of Celestine, wondering what other hidden powers
it possessed.
‘This way,’ called Zac, as he spun around and started running towards
the ocean. They all followed without hesitation. They had no idea where Zac was
leading them. But at least it was away from the clones.
They ran through the empty streets, dodging the huge piles of rubble and
the fires that were still burning out of control. Their vision was limited, due
to the thick blanket of smoke that hung in the air like a dirty veil. They could
hear the clones firing their laser guns behind them. They seemed to be getting
closer and closer.
Zac led them down a series of narrow alleys and through several parks and
fields until they finally reached the ocean. The waves were crashing violently
against the shore and they could taste the salt in the air as they ran. The
sound of the laser guns had disappeared, but Penny had a feeling that the clones
were not too far behind.
They ran along a dirt track, which led them uphill towards the lighthouse
on top of the cliff. The wind was causing Penny’s hair to wrap itself around
her face, and her lungs felt like they were about to burst. They were all
struggling to keep up with Zac, especially Trudy, who wasn’t exactly the
exercising type! Their bodies were aching and they desperately needed to rest,
but Zac would not let them stop.
‘We’re almost there,’ he called, as they approached the top of the
cliff.
Finally, they reached the lighthouse at the top of the cliff and they all
collapsed onto the grass, panting and gasping for breath. None of them spoke for
several minutes, as they sucked in the oxygen and looked down over the city.
What they saw below them was more shocking than they could ever have
imagined. The entire city lay in ruins and a huge mushroom-shaped cloud was
hovering in the sky, blocking the sun. Penny had never seen anything so tragic.
Everything that they had worked so hard to achieve over the past six years had
been stolen from them. It felt like someone had ripped Penny’s heart out of
her chest, leaving her empty and helpless. It was all so surreal. Penny felt
like she was trapped inside a movie.
Slowly, Penny turned her back on the ruined city below them and wandered
over to the lighthouse, where she looked up at the broken, unlit beacon. For a
split second, she thought she saw someone’s face peering down at her from one
of the windows below the beacon. But then it disappeared. Had she imagined it?
Perhaps. The lighthouse had been deserted for years.
Penny had never been inside the lighthouse. It was always kept locked.
From the outside, it looked quite normal – tall and white, with a huge beacon
and a bright red stripe painted around it like a ribbon. But Penny had a feeling
that there was something unusual inside the lighthouse. Something sinister and
shocking – but important. Perhaps something to do with her future. Or maybe
something to do with her past. As she stared at the lighthouse, Penny vaguely
remembered a recurring dream that she had been having recently. In the dream,
Penny found herself walking up a long spiral staircase, with white circular
walls around her. But she always woke up before she reached the top of the
staircase. Was the dream related to the lighthouse in front of her? And, if so,
what was at the top of the staircase?
Penny’s thoughts were suddenly interrupted by a familiar voice calling
her name. She looked around, but it seemed that no-one had spoken to her. They
were all still staring at the ruined city below them. Then Penny heard the voice
again. It sounded like Hugo! And his voice seemed to be coming from the ocean,
beyond the edge of the cliff. Penny moved away from the lighthouse and listened
more carefully to the voice, which was now growing louder inside her head. Yes
– it was definitely Hugo. Penny felt a renewed sense of hope. It had been so
long since she had heard Hugo’s voice. A huge smile came across her face.
Hugo continued to call Penny’s name. Then, he began to beckon her
towards the edge of the cliff. Penny walked slowly towards Hugo’s voice. She
could hear the waves crashing violently below. Soon, Penny was standing on the
edge of the cliff, looking down at the deep water and sharp rocks below. Her
eyes were searching frantically for Hugo. Was he in the water? No. Was he
standing on one of the rocks? No. So where was he?
Penny could focus on nothing else but Hugo’s voice, which seemed to be
pulling her towards the ocean like a magnet. As a huge wave crashed against a
rock, Penny thought she saw Hugo’s smiling face in the foam. She trusted him
completely. Hugo would never let anything bad happen to her. But was this a
trick? No. She had to trust her heart. Penny remembered the time she had been
pulled into the lake on Celestine, and she knew that there was no point trying
to resist.
Penny continued to stare at the ocean below. It was a long way down, and
the tide was strong. But Hugo would be waiting for her. He would protect her.
Finally, Penny made up her mind. She moved her feet to the very edge of the
cliff, leaned her body forward and closed her eyes.
‘I’m coming, Dad,’ she whispered.
Then she let herself fall.
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