I notice, at once, that I can't contact Tamia! I am now in a dirty cell that smells awful. This must be the physical world; nothing this bad can affect me in such a way on the Astral. I think to myself, could Kallo be bluffing? Was he trying to make it seem that I am on the physical, but I would have been able to shift my consciousness, wouldn't I? Hold on, I think, Kallo was neutralized, that, I do know. OK, you say then how come he is here? I have to contact someone. This will be my last report to whoever can access my conscious wavelength.
As students, you know how I have been able to get my story down on to the Deep-Conscious Databank, at Earth base, for whoever can access it. I feel like a complete fool, yet, I have done my best, and that is what matters. Sionn, Reeas, Deria, Tamia, and whoever else can access this, forgive me, for not being conscious enough. Suddenly the cell door opens, and in comes a scruffy looking jailer.
‘You will be terminated at sundown.’ he said. He then shoved a plate of inedible meat at me, which stinks to high heaven. I can now move, as the paralysis is gone. The jailer then shoved the plate at me again, and gave me a second glance. I know at once what he is trying to do, but I just look at him as if to say yes, I know, he then left. I take it for granted the cell is bugged, so I leave the plate untouched for a few minutes. The cell floor is covered in straw, so, I just pretend to stretch out and feel under the plate where I find a small battery size device which I know to be a Contact-Reacher. I think, thank Sionn, I have an ally here. I press the small button on the end of the device while hiding it under the straw, at once I can hear my beautiful little fairy friend, Deria!
‘Dan, please listen, you must be in trouble as you pressed the Contact-Reacher, I don't know what your circumstances are, so all I can say is this Contact-Reacher is from level eleven so I assume you are trapped in one of the various encampments that we know to be there, if you are in some sort of prison, then I assume again, you cannot use your abilities to get out, so I suggest you place this device against your forehead, and again press the button.’
No sooner had she said that when the hatch in the cell door opens and Kallo himself is staring at me. He has a strange look on his face. I slowly shove the device under the straw without thinking. My past life training as a Yoga teacher has stood me in good stead; I just hope it is good enough.
‘What are you trying to hide, Trainee? Oh, I see, you are trying to transform into your Tourgen friend eh? Ha, pathetic. I'm here to say you have fifteen minutes left to live in the Physical Realm, and then your life, is mine, forever.’
He then left. I know there is something different about Kallo.
Why doesn’t he affect me like he used to? Is it my consciousness that has altered? Or is there something more to it. Right, here goes. I placed the device against my forehead and pressed the button. Straight away, I see Deria in all her beauty, she isn't a fairy anymore, but a beautiful young woman of about thirty, she is wearing a silken silver dress, and she has a golden tiara on her head.
‘Dan, I can’t reach you, as the lower levels are too dense for me, all I can do, is tell you that whatever your problem is, it is Astral, and you can overcome it, trust your inner self and never give up, you are a Guardian-of-Space, and unlimited.’ Suddenly, she is gone!
Right, I think, this Kallo, is a bluffer, he wants me to believe I am on the Physical Plane, OK, I will play along with him, this implant he put in my neck is the thing that is holding me here. Don’t forget, students, the implant in my neck is made up of Astral material and works just the same as a Physical one would in the Physical World. I know it is hard to understand sometimes but you, are students, and, as such, you will know. So, I have to, somehow, bypass this little trick that Kallo, or his apprentice has played. I now know, it will take all my strength, emotionally, spiritually and physically, as the Physical world is forever tied in with the Astral world.
‘OK, Earth man. Time to die,’ said the jailer, who is a filthy wretch with a disfigured face, and not the one that brought the Contact-Reacher. ‘OK,’ I said, ‘let’s get it over with, Ugly!’
With that, he shoved a small dagger into my side, which is painful, but not, overly so. There is blood, but, as I look at it, I can see it is beginning to dry up, already. Good, it is as I thought, I am still on the Astral world. I can cope with this. I have to focus all my effort on getting back to Dan Sherman. If Sionn trusted me enough to take me on as a Guardian, then I am a Guardian. We reach a sort of execution scaffold with a small ladder like structure in the center and a noose hanging from the top. I already know this is a gruesome torture instrument from the middle-ages, it was used to hang-draw-and-quarter people, I must admit, I feel scared, but not for long, I just think of Deria in her finery, she is all a spiritual person can aspire to be, and more. I feel good now, even confident. Kallo is stood at the far end of the court yard, on a sort of podium, like an Emperor, he even raised his thumb as they used to do in ancient Rome. The executioner put the rope around my neck, I looked him straight in the eye, I can see the look of terror on his face, as I change into the Tourgen clone known as Cloft; of course, the scaffold now collapses, as my weight is too much for it. I can also see Kallo leaving the podium. I had to get to him, I run as fast as I can, but too late, he vanishes. All I can do is change back to Dan Sherman. I know Kallo won't come back, we had won another round, I notice the force field has also gone. The people are ecstatic. Tamia is again audible to me. ‘Dan, you are as good as they say.’
‘Really,’ I said, trying to be noble. ‘I couldn't have done it without Deria.’
‘We can now go on to level 12.’ Tamia said.
‘Good, let’s get going,’ I said, trying to be cool.
Before I set off, I make it my business, to thank the jailer who helped me.
It turns out he is a coworker for us. What would we do without them? The place is known as Stonetop, a Bronze-Age type village before Kallo got hold of it, now it is free and ready to move on. Don’t forget, students, our job is to complete a mission and not interfere with anything or anyone while we are here. That is something that Kallo and his helpers are frequently forgetting, or not caring about.