CATHARSIS
By Cody Knox
Useless Disclaimer That Nobody Will Read
This work is copyright to Cody Knox under the New Zealand
Copyright Act of 1994.
This is a work of fiction. None of the characters are based
on real people.
The following work includes heavy adult themes and is not
for children or the tender-hearted.
Page 1
Book One of Nine.
Table of Contents
Prologue: The White Rose – Page 3
Chapter 1: One Small Step – Page 8
Chapter 2: One Giant Leap – Page 39
Chapter 3: Complication – Page 66
Chapter 4: Herogate – Page 92
Sue D Nym's Games Review Blog: Page 120
Page 2
Wellington, New Zealand (2019)
A torrent of rain rocked the side-walk like fire crackers, while
the two chefs made their way up the hill. These chefs called
themselves Zak and Meek. They were heading for The
White Rose, a homeless shelter.
Meek's teeth chattered out Morse code under five layers of
coats. Zak peered through the fog, stroking his wet beard.
He could see a sign, reading " THE WHITE ROSE".
Zak pointed to the sign and said, "Well, they'll be looking
forward to getting some tucker in them, won't they?"
Meek chuckled to himself and replied, "You're not wrong
there, mate, you're not wrong,"
All of a sudden, lightning flickered above the city and there
was a monstrous roar of thunder. Meek turned even paler
than normal.
"What the bloody hell was that?" Meek asked, "It sounded like a bomb went off!"
"Relax, Meek. It was only lightning," Zak said.
"Oh, well, that's OK then! It's not like a stray bolt could start a fire that could burn us all to death!" Meek said.
"Don't worry. If anything happens, we can handle it," Zak
said.
Page 3
Zak and Meek rushed into the homeless shelter and to the changing rooms.
Meek slipped on his chef outfit and hat, and Zak slipped into
his. Meek's name-tag read APOLLO MEEK. Zak's read
ABDUL ZAKI.
The two chefs went into the galley and got straight to work.
Before long there was the sound of pots and pans banging
and sizzling oil. The scent of many herbs and spices. They
went out the galley doors and served their meals to all the
homeless patrons.
This night, there were five homeless people staying at The
White Rose. A young couple. An old lady. A mother and her
son.
Some time later, Zak and Meek sat down to enjoy their own
dinners. For Zak, a plate of fattoush (A middle-eastern dish).
For Meek, a bowl of chicken soup.
Zak noticed a leaflet on the table. The front read, in big bold
letters: 'Remedios Varo. Rare Art Show This Saturday $40"
"Meek, look at this leaflet," Zak said, handing the leaflet to Meek.
"Rare artworks by Remedios Varo? She's my favourite
Spanish-Mexican surrealist, you know," Meek said.
"But look at the price. $40. The White Rose is a homeless
shelter. Why would a homeless person waste $40 on an art
show?" Zak asked.
Page 4
"Zak, are you thinking that somebody is taking advantage of our kindness?" Meek asked.
"Well, I'm thinking it could be time we had another
inspection," Zak said.
"Zak, come on. Those are too stressful," Meek said.
Zak pulled out a 20-cent coin and said, "I'll tell you what,
we'll flip a coin on it. Heads or tails?"
"Heads," Meek said.
Zak flipped the coin and it spun through the air like a little
trapeze artist. It then landed on its side, neither heads nor
tails. The two stared at it in awe for a few moments, then the
whole building began to shake. Zak and Meek went flying
from their chairs.
Looking out the window, the two chefs could see the
building was starting to slide down the cliff. Within minutes it
was sure to fall into the ocean below.
Meek picked himself up off the ground, then helped Zak up.
Zak and Meek ran into the hallway, where the young couple
were helping the old lady outside. They ran up the staircase,
and came across a woman with a bleeding leg.
"This building is collapsing. We have to move her. We'll
need to make a leg splint, in case the bone is fractured,"
Zak said.
"I'm on it," Meek said, running off to a nearby first aid box.
Page 5
"It's going to be OK, ma'am," Zak said to the woman.
Meek returned with first aid supplies, and the two fashioned
up a leg splint. They then proceeded to carry her out of the
building. The others stood there in the rain. They lowered
the woman into a wheelchair.
"Is this everyone?" Zak asked.
"My son! Where's my son?!?" the woman cried.
Zak and Meek looked at each other.
"Zak, we have to go back in," Meek said.
"Meek, wait!" Zak said, but Meek had already run back in.
Zak followed after him. The building crumbled piece by
piece as the two ran up the stairs.
Behind them, a wall collapsed, and fell into the ocean.
They then heard the voice of a little boy yelling "Help!! Help
me!!" They ran to the source of the noise; it was coming
from behind one of the bedroom doors. Zak kicked the door
open and the two saw the little boy in the corner. Blood
seeped down the boy's forehead as he sobbed.
Zak began to approach the boy. The boy panicked and hid
under the bed. The building shook again. Zak held himself in
the doorway while Meek bent down.
"Come on, kid. It's going to be OK," Meek said.
Page 6
"Meek, just grab him and run!" Zak said.
Meek continued to hold his hand out for the boy.
"Listen, kid. I know you're scared. It's OK to be scared. But
no matter how scary life becomes, we have to keep going,"
Meek said, "Alright?"
The boy grabbed Meek's hand, and Meek picked him up.
The three of them all ran out of the building which was
collapsing all around them. They rushed out the front doors
and returned the boy to his mother. Just behind them, the
last parts of the shelter fell apart and into the ocean below.
Zak and Meek turned around, looking at the cliff where The
White Rose had once been.
"Well, bugger," Zak said.
Page 7
The rain had stopped. The clouds had parted. The full moon
shone down on the wet, windy Wellington streets.
In one certain house, a girl was looking out the window,
waiting for her father to return. This girl's name was Aida.
It had been twenty minutes since The White Rose had
plunged into the ocean. She had not seen hide nor hair of
Zak or Meek.
There was a sleeping girl next to her. Her name was Vera.
She was wearing a necklace, with a cross.
Aida looked down the street and saw two men walk past the
kowhai tree on the street corner. Even from a distance there
was no mistaking them; it was Zak and Meek. Zak's face
looked like he'd aged 20 years. Meek's blonde hair looked
like it had survived a hurricane. They walked up the steps to
the front door.
"Dad!" Aida shouted, awakening Vera. The family
resemblance between Zak and Aida was quite uncanny. The
two looked rather alike, though there were clear differences.
For example, Aida did not have a beard.
Aida shot off like a bullet to the front door the moment Zak
turned the key. The next moment, the two embraced. A
loving moment between father and daughter.
Meek squeezed in through the door frame, seeing a tired
Vera squinting in the hallway.
Page 8
"I'm so glad you're both OK! I was so worried!" Aida said.
"Yeah, we're fine," Meek said.
"Vera? You're still here?" Zak asked.
Vera shrugged, then pushed aside her messy dark brown
hair so she could see easier.
"Nowhere else to go," Vera said. She had a noticeable thick Eastern-European accent.
"What, no family back in Romania?" Meek asked.
"None at all," Vera said, "so what do we do now shelter is gone?"
"Well, it wasn't insured, so there's no point in rebuilding it.
We weren't making enough money from donations anyway.
Aida and I are going to have to sell the house and move to a
smaller place," Zak said. His face was solemn and stoic, but
everyone could tell he was on the verge of tears.
"But what about Meek and I?" Vera asked. Zak gave a deep
sigh.
"I'm not sure, but you won't be able to stay here," Zak said,
"this is all my fault. I've been too generous these past
months,"
"Aw, come on, Zak. Let's not jump to conclusions about
what's gonna happen," Meek said, "we should at least get
some rest first, right?"
Page 9
"Right," Zak said, resigned. Zak and Aida headed to their respective rooms.
Meek lied down on the couch opposite Vera, taking special
care not to knock over his wooden guitar.
Zak stared at the ceiling in his room, unable to sleep. His
room was full of various rugby stuff. There was:
- A Hurricanes t-shirt signed by Jonah Lomu.
- A photo of Tana Umaga and himself.
- A rugby trophy he'd won when he was playing at High
School.
The others did not share Zak's passion for rugby, though
Meek once told him that his parents had named him after
the rugby player Apollo Perelini.
Zak wondered if any of this would be happening if he'd tried
to be a rugby player instead of a chef. Everything had been
getting so crazy as of late, and Zak wanted a break from it
all.
Zak stared at the ceiling for a long time. But then, a most
curious thing happened. A bright light lit up the room and
there was an odd humming noise coming from outside.
Zak arose and looked out the window. To his surprise, it was
a limousine. It was running with the headlights on.
Without offering any explanation, the engine stopped and
the lights went out. He sweated. His breathing was heavy.
There was a knock at the door. Zak gritted his teeth.
Page 10
He walked down the hallway and saw that Meek, Aida, and Vera were awake too. Meek was brandishing his guitar as if
it were a weapon. He looked terrified.
Zak took a deep breath and turned the door knob. Behind
the door they all beheld a man who looked older than
Methuselah. He wore a suit that looked to be worth more
than Zak's house. The man cleared his throat then began to
speak.
"Bonjour! Nĭ hăo! ¡Hola! Namaste! Marhaban! Kon'nichiwa!
Talofa lava! Bula vinaka! Kia ora koutou katoa! And, of
course, greetings to the two of you. Am I correct in
assuming that this is 65 Hotere Street?" The man asked. He
had a calm and proper way about him.
"It is," Zak said.
"Ah, in that case, you must be Abdul, and the younger man
must be Apollo," the man said.
"We like to be referred to as 'Zak' and 'Meek'" Zak said.
"Ah, but of course. Let us get down to business. My name is
Mr Chesley Conrad. Here is my card," Mr Conrad said, and
pulled a card out of his waistcoat pocket.
The card read:
Mr Chesley Conrad
CEO
Arcturus Space Technologies
"Arcturus? You're the boss of Arcturus?" Meek asked.
Page 11
"Hey, I know about you guys!" Aida piped up, "I watched a documentary on your space programme once!"
"A space programme?" Zak asked.
"Yeah! These guys are building their own spaceship!" Aida
said.
"Alright, fair enough. So what do you want with us?" Zak
asked.
"I have come to thank you for saving the lives of my
daughter and grandson. Their names were Sophie and
Philip. They were staying at The White Rose. They were
going to go to an art show tomorrow. Anyway, they told me
they had been rescued by two chefs," Mr Conrad said.
"But you look like you're blimmin' loaded. Why would your
family be staying at a homeless shelter?" Meek asked.
"We have gone across the ends of the Earth looking for
people who can operate as the hosts and chefs of my
spaceship.
This evening, Sophie and Philip just so happened to stay at
The White Rose.
And I do believe I have found the ideal hosts of my
spaceship. That is, the two of you. I want you both to come
work for me," Mr Conrad said.
"Aw, you're pulling our leg, mate. There are loads of chefs
that are better than us. I mean, Meek here doesn't even
have a degree!" Zak said.
Page 12
"You will both go through rigorous training. Trust me, I am
making no mistake in choosing you," Mr Conrad said.
"What about Vera and I? Do we get to work on your
spaceship too?" Aida asked.
"No," Mr Conrad said.
Aida looked as though Mr Conrad had torn her heart out and
shattered it on the floor. She would have loved to work on a
spaceship. Mr Conrad cleared his throat and began to
speak again.
"You will not work on my spaceship, but, when the two of
you come of age, you may like to try your luck at entering
the space lottery," Mr Conrad said.
"And what is this space lottery?" Vera asked. Mr Conrad
pulled a DVD out of his waistcoat.
"I am glad you asked that question. This DVD ought to
explain everything," Mr Conrad said. He set everything up,
then turned the TV on. The commercial started straight
away.
Aerospace. Robotics. Chemistry. Cooking equipment.
Military Aircraft. Media broadcasts.
Page 13
Wherever you look, you can see the influence of
Arcturus Space Technologies. We have always been
there for you. We have brought together millions.
We have always been at the cusp of cutting-edge
technology, and our latest creation is no
exception.
This is The Catharsis! It is a luxury spaceship
with no equal.
You could find yourself taking a once-in-a-
lifetime trip to the moon upon this spaceship!
Don't miss out on this chance! The results will
amaze you! What part will you play? The second
space race begins with you!
We are holding a Space Lottery, and everyone in
the world has a chance to win!
Page 14
All you have to do is buy one of these tickets.
There are over two billion tickets in stores now,
but only 30 have a chance to win! What will you do
when you win?
After buying your ticket, you will need to
register your details on our official website.
If your ticket glows gold, then congratulations!
You are going to become an astronaut!
In 2021, on the 30th of January, you will take an
all-expenses-paid trip to Houston, Texas,
where our spaceship is waiting for you.
There will be two weeks of space camp, then on
February the 14th, we shall say farewell to the
Earth and begin our voyage.
On February the 17th, we will land on the moon,
and we will stay there until we leave on the 25th.
Page 15
And then we will finally return to Earth on the
28th of February, hopefully all as better people.
But wait! I hear you cry.
Will I have to get used to floating about in zero
gravity and eating everything out of a tube?
To which I say do not fear! We at Arcturus
Technologies have perfected the science of
artificial gravity.
That's right! You'll be able to feel right at home
and enjoy everything the spaceship has to offer
you.
Take a refreshing dip in our swimming pool, or
play with your friends in our games room.
You might learn new skills. Find true love.
Discover inner peace. And so much more. I look
forward to seeing all of you.
The commercial ended here.
Page 16
“Blimey,” Meek said, as he could not think of anything else to say.
“Well, I'm game. What say you, Meek?” Zak asked.
“Alright, I'm game too. After all, two years is a long time.
Who knows what might happen by the end?” Meek asked.
“We will begin training tomorrow. I am pleased with this
deal,” Mr Conrad said.
The two years that followed passed rather fast for Zak and
Meek, as they were taught all they needed to know by Mr
Conrad. And outside, Space Lottery mania gripped the
world.
Wellington, New Zealand 2020
Vera fought her way past the walloping winds as she made
her way up to 65 Hotere Street. Her dark-purple handbag
flapped about in the breeze. Aida answered the door before
Vera even knocked.
"Oh, I'm so glad you could make it!" Aida said. Vera
ventured a look inside. There was not another soul there. It
wasn't as if Vera was early; in fact, she was rather late.
"Happy 18th birthday, Aida. I was expecting a few more
people," Vera said, making herself comfortable on the
nearest armchair.
"Yeah well, you know I can be pretty introverted," Aida said.
Page 17
"What about your family?" Vera asked.
"Oh, my Dad and I don't get on that well with the rest of the
Zaki family. Don't even go there,"
Vera chose not to go there.
"Anyway, now that I'm 18, I can activate my space lottery
ticket!" Aida said, "I bought one for you too," pulling them off the nearby computer desk.
They were still in their original packaging. On the packaging
were a set of instructions, as well as a number hidden
behind a scratch-card. This number would activate the card.
"Aw, thank you, Aida. But I don't think there's a high chance
of either of us winning," Vera said.
"Well, you never know," Aida said, as she hopped onto her
Dad's computer. Vera whipped out her smartphone.
A few minutes later, having filled the forms, the two women
pushed the 'submit' buttons at the exact same time. And, lo
and behold, both of their space lottery tickets began to glow.
"Vera, do you realise what this means? We're going to
become astronauts!" Aida said, and the two women
cheered.
W
ellington, New Zealand. January 30 th , 2021
.
Vera was finishing off her make-up in the mirror when a
shout came from outside.
Page 18
“Vera, can you hurry up in there? Our ride will be here any minute,” Aida shouted.
Vera rolled her eyes and puckered her lips. She applied the
red cherry lipstick, then put the tip back on. She grabbed her
handbag and headed for the door.
As she did so, something fell out. She bent down to pick it
up, and saw what it was: a locket. This locket was marked
with an elaborately-designed crucifix. Inside, there was a
photograph of herself when she was younger, with another
girl. Vera's face grew pained.
“Camelia...” Vera whispered. She picked up the locket and
placed it back in its proper place.
Vera ran out of the bathroom and joined Aida down the
bottom of the steps, both of their suitcases ready and
waiting. A taxi stopped right outside of the house.
“Well, time for a boring 16-hour plane trip!” Aida said.
Houst
on, USA. January 30 th , 2021.
It was, indeed, a boring trip. Vera had fallen asleep hours
ago, and was now snoring like a sick pig.
Aida had not slept a wink during the flight, due to the
presence of two screaming infants nearby. They had been
screaming the entire journey, and Vera's loud snoring was
not helping matters. Aida would be glad when they had
finally landed.
Page 19
Over the loudspeakers, the pilot made an announcement:
"We will be landing in Houston, Texas shortly. Local
temperature is 45.1°F and the time is 10.30 PM,"
The two women later stayed at a hotel paid for by Arcturus.
The hotel was generic, like any other hotel found anywhere
else in the world. On a nearby newspaper, the headline read
'DALLAS STILL RECOVERING AFTER SPACE LOTTERY
RIOT'.
Looking out from the balcony of their hotel room, Aida and
Vera could see the space port for The Catharsis. From this
distance it was a silhouette, but it was still rather exciting.
Houston, USA. February 1st, 2021.
It was time to go to Space Camp. A bus had arrived to take
everyone to the Space Port.
Upon entering the bus, Aida and Vera saw many people of
different backgrounds. They took some empty seats next to
an Italian lady.
"Parli Italiano?" The Italian lady asked, which was Italian for
'Do you speak Italian?'
Vera shook her head and replied, "No," (Which was Italian
for 'no'.)
The Italian lady sunk into her seat, dejected.
She hoped that there would be English classes at Space
Camp.
Page 20
A short time later, they reached the front entrance to the
Space Port. There was an imposing spiked fence that
surrounded the whole area. The spikes looked sharp
enough to cut through diamond.
Through the gate they saw a small smattering of buildings,
as well as the launch pad for The Catharsis.
The front entrance had a large sign reading "THE
CATHARSIS SPACESHIP".
Under this sign was a large board which was decorated with
many flags. Flags representing every country that the
passengers and crew members came from.
Under this board was a giant scanner. In front of the
scanner was a ticket reader. It had a speaker attached.
"Remember, one at a time. Proceed to the foyer, leave your
bags there, and wait for further instructions," the bus driver
grumbled.
Page 21
A young blonde woman with pale skin pushed her way to the front. She plopped the ticket in. The ticket reader
responded in a robotic voice, "NICOLE RAY,
CITIZEN OF THE USA. YOU MAY
PROCEED," and Nicole walked through the scanners.
Up next was a Korean woman. She placed her ticket in.
