Chapter Ten: A long time ago

He was alone. Kal had dragged himself out of the room to get the others. And while he was flipping between his left eye and his right eye to see what he could see, he was most curious about his teeth. Something was wrong. He reached into his mouth and pulled out a ball of wet paper. He carefully opened it until he could see the message. A heart doodle. And “Goodbye.”
 
“Well I guess it was in there for a reason. Better put it back.” Back it went, in a mushy paper ball, back toward the back of his mouth for safe keeping.
 
Ajax. That was an odd name. Ajax. Maybe AJ for short? Eh-Jax. Sounded Canadian. Where did it come from? Did it come from the multicoloured goop that went up his nose? Or from the reboot?
 
He could hear them padding along the hall, lined up as they entered and crossed his room. The British teen smiled, showing her teeth, the others watched her and followed suit.
 
“And here he is. Kal you are right. Perfection. Only one missing piece to the puzzle. Please stand. I have something for you. Your new best friend. Your other half. Your connection. It is the red cane. Your source. It was formed for you a long time ago. And it is yours forever. And trust us, forever is a very long time around here.”
 
He stood and received his red cane. He looked at the red jeweled handle, and the moment his hand covered it an impossibly powerful shockwave ran though him like he was being electrocuted.
 
“Do you feel it?” She asked. “Because I could not feel a thing when I carried it here.”
 
“Oh yes, I feel it. I may have to shout. That is if it is ok to shout here.”
 
“Please…” said the British teen. “Go right ahead.”
 
He opened his mouth and a high pitched sound came out that caused the wallet goop machine to explode from the ceiling. The sound also cracked Kal’s glasses as he fell to one knee. “I’m ok I’m ok. I just need a minute. I have more pairs, and someone here is smart enough to craft me more pairs if you break all of them.”
 
“Yes. Yes yes yes. This is really happening,” said the British teen. The others nodded. “It is true. The tunnel. The tunnel spoke the truth. We really must show him the tunnel right away. It may explain a few things. And in fact it may put things in motion. But where are my manners... I haven’t asked your name.”
 
“It is AJ. You can call me AJ.”
 
Each of the C/Os held their gold canes above their head and dropped their heads in a bow. “AJ. You are now our spirit guide. From the dead and now reborn into the spirit guide. The tunnel was right. Wow.”
 
“Here we go people,” said the British teen. “This has officially become real.”

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