Rev's Odyssey by R. R. Kaufman (the reading list .txt) 📕

Once completed, she could return to planet Radium and further her conquests.

However, reflecting over the last several days, she realized that she did have one special cargo. Rev’s mother and uncle.

Razor issued an order to a crew member to bring them topside.

Their hands bound behind them, Cyna and Mars were escorted to the deck and stood a short distance from Razor.

Cyna, a woman in her late thirties, was younger than Razor. Plain looking but elegant. Her lean, fit body stood unrelenting in front of Razor. Although not as tall as Razor, when she tilted her head back, she appeared to be just as tall, when looking into Razor’s callous eyes.

 

Razor

You will never see your daughter again.

 

Cyna

Where is she, you monster? What have you done with her?

 

Razor

Watch your tone with me. You should be asking what Rev has done to me. She has created quite an uproar.

 

Mars stood beside Cyna. He carried himself with an air of confidence, compassion and maturity.

 

Mars

Why can’t you just leave Brix and maybe we can recover from all your destruction.

 

Razor

I’ll tell you what’s going to happen. Rev is coming to find you. And when she does I will hold her prisoner separate from the two of you. Then, I’ll return to Brix, destroy what’s left of it and move on. The three of you will be trapped on this dying planet forever. You’ll never figure out how to get through this planet’s Lux. It’s almost impossible. Many people have tried and died. Only I know how.

 

Cyna

Your day will come. Sooner than you think.

 

Razor

That special day comes for us all. But I know the sun will set on all three of you long before it does on me.

 

Razor looked back at the crewman.

 

Razor

Get them out of here.

 

Chapter 40

 

 

Rev heard a familiar sound. She looked around. The other girls had dozed off under their protective shelter. To keep a steady course, Zhen had secured the rudder’s rope around her waist. Rev stood up and went closer to the sound she heard. The rain was still coming down hard and visibility was poor. A series of clicks and whistles emitted from a corner of the float. Several dolphins swam in a frenzied manner, splashing and diving wildly, making the loud sounds.

Rev noticed that a dolphin was caught in some netting on the float. Poor thing, thought Rev. Hold on, I’ll set you free. Rev crouched down at the corner’s edge and started to untangle the dolphin. Just as she finished and the other dolphins thanked Rev for rescuing their friend, she felt a strange movement under her. A gust of wind blew her overboard.

Rev fought hard to swim back to the big garbage float. She was losing the battle. The island of garbage was being swept away by the whirlwind current at a faster speed than her ability to swim. A few seconds later, she lost site of it completely.

Suddenly her body seemed to float above the surface effortlessly. She was propelled through the water towards the garbage float. She looked down and saw a flash of dolphins whizzing her to safety. Rev felt ecstatic. Oh you wonderful dolphins!

Rev grabbed hold of the corner piece of plastic on the float. The dolphins returned her thank you in a series of chirps and whistles and disappeared. Rev scrambled onboard the big float and carefully stood up.

Big waves rocked the float violently. She was knocked off her feet and laid flat on the plastic debris. Rev kept herself low as she crouched forward. Ahead of her, out of reach, she watched helplessly as the plastic stretched along an invisible seam and in a flash separated from the big float. She was swept away on a small piece of debris.

Her heart sank, her throat constricted and Rev had to force herself to breathe. Her small plastic raft was tossed up and down savagely by monster waves. She lay flat on her back.

Rev stretched her arms out to each side. Her hands touched the water on both sides. The float was slightly larger than her body. With the rain falling hard on her face and no sight of the island girls Rev grabbed hold of the debris and hung on for her life.

 

Chapter 41

 

 

The storm lifted as fast as it blew in. Rev covered her eyes with her hand to shield them from the blazing sun. The ocean was completely tranquil. Seagulls could be heard from a distance. Rev squinted her eyes and caught sight of a speck of land. With netting, she attached a piece of plastic in the shape of a shovel to her flexion and started paddling.

Rev was a short distance from shore when her raft began spiraling around in a swirling undercurrent. A whirlpool opened up and she was swallowed up inside a vicious vortex of churning water.

Gripping her raft strenuously, Rev spun around underwater unwillingly. Before she could reach for her breather she shot to the surface. Disoriented and shook up, she coughed up some water and discovered she was now rushing down a river.

Rev reacted immediately. Still holding her flexion paddle, she gripped it with both hands and maneuvered the white water rapids, narrowly missing jagged rocks. The river turned into a narrow fast moving chute with huge boulders on each side. She ricocheted off the boulder walls as the current rushed faster and steeper down the canyon enclosure.

Suddenly a dark hole appeared before her. Total darkness surrounded her as she swished through the cave like tunnel. The roar of the rapid flowing water echoed and boomed in the narrow opening. A small light in the distance gave her hope.

There was no getting off this raging river. Rev didn’t have time to think, and if she did she had no choice but to continue on this wild ride.

The light ahead of her grew bigger. Within seconds she reached the light. But the river turned into a falling cascade of water. Rev was airborne as she plunged down the waterfall. Seconds later she smacked down hard in a small pool and continued her downward run, somehow keeping her raft afloat.

What seemed like an endless journey filled with maximum adrenaline, the current subsided and Rev found herself floating in a wide calm pool of water. She looked around. The shoreline was even and high trees overhung on the river’s banks. Her plastic raft had been reduced in size but still a lifesaver. Rev looked down at her leg. It was bleeding. She must have scraped it on the rocks. She ripped off a piece of her shirt and rapped it around her bloody leg.

Rev breathed in and out as she relaxed on her back. What a ride. She had survived but had no idea where she was.

Suddenly a flash caught Rev’s eye. A woman onshore was running along the bank and yelling at her. Rev’s ears were still plugged up from the roar of the rapids. She couldn’t understand what the woman was saying. With one hand the woman was waving for Rev to come ashore while her other hand was pointing downstream.

Rev looked to where she was pointing. A heavy mist drifted upwards. Her float began to gain momentum. Rev didn’t hesitate. She knew what lay ahead. She retracted the flexion and dove off her float and swam to shore.

Rev knew she was a good swimmer, but for every stroke she took to tread water she seemed to be pulled back into the middle of the wide river. She was rapidly moving towards the roaring waterfall.

Suddenly she noticed the woman on shore grab hold of one of the leaning tree branches and pull it down on top of the water. This action shortened the distance for Rev to reach.

Once more she swam as strong and brisk as she could. Closer and closer she advanced to the hanging limb. She grabbed the end of it with one hand and sank below the surface. She hung on underwater and then soared to the surface and then snatched the tree limb with her other hand.

The woman slowly let go of the big branch and in doing so raised Rev up from the water. She reached her hand out to Rev and pulled her on shore.

 

Monique

I’m Monique. We must get inside right away. It’s dangerous to be this far out in the woods.

 

Rev tried to walk but her bloody and bruised leg collapsed. Monique took hold of her and held her up as they shuffled back to her place. Huge doors opened as they went inside. Other people helped Monique carry Rev to a bed. Rev faded into a drowsy state and tried to speak.

 

Rev

Protectors…island…girls…rescue.

 

She passed out.

 

Chapter 42

 

 

A light electric train advanced towards Crystal Falls. In one of the compartments Razor sat comfortably across from Cyna and professor Mars.

 

Razor

Today is a special day for you Cyna. I’ve changed my mind. You are about to see Rev.

 

Cyna

You’ve captured her?

 

Razor

Not exactly.

 

Cyna

She better be safe.

 

Razor

Or what? Somebody is always threatening me. But nothing ever happens when they do.

 

Mars noticed a wry smile form on Razor’s face.

 

Mars

We don’t trust you. Where are you taking us? What sadistic game are you playing with us?

 

Razor

You’re very quick, aren’t you professor? Yes, I’ve cooked up something that will give me considerable pleasure for some time. Of course things have to go according to my plan. I’m sure it will work out.

 

Cyna

People like you push too hard and far. You’re luck will end. It has to.

 

Razor

You’re confusing luck with intelligence. My legacy will live forever.

 

Mars

You’re legacy is destroying Brix.

 

Razor had a good laugh.

 

Razor

Well, that’s all part of my legacy. Now, shut up, sit back and enjoy the trip.

 

The electric train sped quietly towards Crystal Falls.

 

Chapter 43

 

 

Rev couldn’t breathe. Someone was suffocating her with a pillow. She pushed back hard with her hands but her assailant was stronger than her. Then, a hand grabbed her from under her bed and set her free. Rev opened her door and ran down the hall. She opened a door and her father stood there and told her to go back. Rev found some winding stairs and ran down quickly. But the big hairy beast with the pillow was running up the stairs towards her. She fell back and fell out a window into a dark pit.

Three loud knocks woke Rev up.

She jumped out of bed but no one was there.

Rev looked around. She was surrounded by large glass windows with water streaming down them. It reminded her of Genus. Was she home?

A door swished open and an older woman entered her room. She moved gracefully with an aura of maturity. Her gentle face displayed a sweet smile and kind eyes. She spoke with a soft, assured voice. Rev felt immediate peace and safety in this woman’s presence.

 

Monique

Remember me?

 

Rev

I think so. You helped me ashore. You saved me. You’re Monique. I feel so confused. Where am I?

 

Monique

You’re in Crystal Falls. You’re safe.

 

Rev

Yes. I remember. I came down a really fast river of some kind.

 

Monique

Maybe this will help.

 

Monique went to the door. It flowed