Ascendants of Ancients Sovereign (Worlds of the Crystal Moon, Book 1) (2 page)

Fellow soul,

I truly hate to be the bearer of bad news, but the gods insisted that I be the vessel of truth. I’ve been forced to come right out and say it. We are dead—tragedies of a celestial uprising that destroyed a cosmos. We can no longer call Earth, Dukas, Redbone, Langormar, or whatever world you were from, our homes. But the revelation of this carnage was not meant to be the beginning of my tale.

Allow me, your spirited storyteller, to take you back to a period more than 14,000 seasons ago, to a series of Peaks that were lived just before the Great Destruction of Everything Known. Forgive me, for I must start my story on an inferior planet that was once known as Earth.

Your friend and fellow soul inside the Book of Immortality,

Phillip E. Jones

The Hometown of Sam Goodrich

Los Angeles, California

DR. SAM GOODRICH PUT the cold stethoscope on the boy’s chest and asked his patient to take two deep breaths. The child jumped. Once Sam determined the youngster was in good general health, and his flu-like symptoms could be treated with simple over-the-counter medications, he wrote out his recommendations and handed them to the boy’s mother.

“Mrs. Taylor, thanks for bringing Patrick in to see me. These should do the trick. He’ll be fine in a few days.” Forcing a smile, Sam dredged up a few other words of encouragement and then shook the woman’s hand before he left the room.

Walking across the hall, his smile faded. He shook his head and whispered under his breath, “Great ... another inconvenience. I just can’t do this anymore. I have to win tonight.” He opened the door leading to his next patient, forced another smile and entered. “Mr. Borgs, how are you today?”

Sam was muscular, with chiseled abs, which many women found to be their personal definition of perfection. At five-foot nine, 190 pounds, he was in amazing shape, and his cardio was exemplary.

Sam was not what many would consider a normal doctor. Despite being adored by his patients, Sam had a bit of a dark side. He loved to fight, and today was Sam’s big day—the first day of his professional fighting career.

For the last six and a half years, Sam trained tirelessly in the world of Mixed Martial Arts Combat. When he started in the sport, now his passion, his good friend, John, also a professional fighter and trainer, had used Sam as a life-sized punching bag. The doctor grew accustomed to being turned into a human pretzel, learning his body could be bent in ways that he never imagined. And being the friend that he was, John took great pleasure in delivering the abuse.

Nine years Sam’s elder, John had been one of the few people who understood Sam when the decision was made to put the 16 year old boy into the sport. Because John valued Sam, the boy evolved into a machine inside the cage while he savagely absorbed his mentor’s experience.

Sam was a different breed of fighter. He had a reputation for greatness outside the cage. He was known across the globe for his superior intelligence. He graduated high school at the age of 10, earned his Bachelor’s in Science at 13 and his medical degree just before turning 16. In short, Sam was a walking book of knowledge. His unparalleled ability to retain data amazed his professors and the world—but Sam often failed to show his brilliance.

Trying to fit in, Sam would intentionally hold back. He did not like the idea of being the freak, the brain, or the geek the other kids did not want around. He tried to hide his genius, studying only what was necessary to appease his father, but his best efforts to blend were often ruined by his desire to take charge, creating the opposite effect.

Despite Sam’s attempts to please his overbearing father, the medical community had other plans. They turned their backs on the minor, saying a 16-year-old was too immature to perform any type of patient care, let alone surgery. Sam was considered unemployable—simply too young to handle real world responsibilities until the age of 18.

The court supported this assessment after a number of private interviews, ruling that Sam had to be of legal age before becoming a surgeon. To Sam’s father, the medical world was prejudiced—an evil empire bound and determined to hold him and his son back.

The court’s ruling turned out to be the right call. Although a genius, Sam was over-confident, hot-tempered, quick to react, and lacked common sense at times. On the day of the ruling, the 16-year-old proved their point. He stormed out of the courtroom, screaming, “I hate all of you! You’re fools! You’ll need me one of these days, and I won’t be there for any of you!” He slapped the heavy wooden doors as he exited.

Though embarrassed, Sam’s father fought the ruling, appealing the decision to a higher court. With this appeal came another rejection, which thrust an even deeper jab into Sam’s pride.

Unable to control his hostility, Sam’s anger got the best of him. After being caught for public intoxication and vandalism, Sam was arrested.

To save the family further embarrassment after the press swarmed the police station, Sam’s father requested a private meeting with the judge. They determined Sam needed guidance from someone who could remain objective about the boy’s growing hostility. A counselor was brought in to stay with the family, assess Sam’s inability to maintain control, and then determine a course of action.

“This is for your own good, Sam,” was all Howard Goodrich said as he escorted his son into the counselor’s office.

The professional assessment suggested that all Sam needed was a physical outlet to release his suppressed emotions. After many conversations, a decision was made. Sam would take up Mixed Martial Arts as a way to channel his negative energy. The plan worked. In fact, it more than worked. Sam discovered another gift. He could fight—and fight well. Because of this discovery, a genuine smile returned to his face.

Not only did Sam learn he was an excellent fighter, he also learned he was an adrenaline junkie. He felt the brutal sport was the best thing that had ever happened to him. He no longer had to look for happiness. Along with healing people as the doctor his father had forced him to become, he would silence his hatred for the medical profession by beating people up—unknowingly scarring his soul in the process and feeding a demon that lurked within the darkest shadows of his mind.

Despite pleading with his father to give up medicine, Sam’s medical career developed. He hated the decision his father made to open a practice. Nevertheless, family money was to be obeyed, and on the day of Sam’s 19
birthday, the red ribbon was cut.

“Sam, John Marks with the Times. How does it feel to be famous and the head of a 12-story facility? Does it feel overwhelming to be a doctor at your age?”

Sam held up his hands to silence the crowd and then responded. “Okay, okay. First of all, nothing overwhelms me. But let me put today in perspective for you. What my father wants, is what my father gets. I’m not the head of anything, and you’re misguided if you believe otherwise.” Sam walked to the front of the stage and pointed at his father. “This is his dream, not mine.”

Sam’s open hostility forced his father to be flexible. Howard had to allow Sam to abandon his plan for Sam to become a trauma surgeon—a position Howard Goodrich revered—one that would have been a better career choice considering Sam’s need to take charge.

Despite Howard’s disgust for Sam’s barbaric decision to find fame in the cages of MMA, Sam’s life became a balancing act between the family business, patients and his love—fighting.

Now, fellow soul … not that it matters, since everything would eventually cease to exist because of The Great Destruction of Everything Known ... but Sam’s genius was a gold mine, despite the turmoil with his father. Thanks to Sam’s worldwide reputation, the family practice was an immediate success. Just as Howard had foreseen, other eager, high-achieving doctors applied for employment because of the publicity they would receive on the coattails of Sam’s notoriety.

The family practice employed 533 doctors, nurses, and therapists of different medical backgrounds. Sam’s parents, business-minded people with administrative experience, handled the day-to-day operations while Sam offered no additional help above a minimal effort. Instead, he pursued his passion.

Tonight, Sam hoped his first professional fight in Las Vegas would be the beginning of his rise to stardom and the end of his medical career. As he left his office on the 12th floor, a plain looking, dark-haired secretary named Melissa tossed Sam the keys to a new convertible Mustang and winked. “Go get ‘em, Champ. Your dad’s jet is fueled and waiting. Oh, and thanks for the big screen. My husband invited some friends over to watch you fight. It’s going to be weird to see you on Pay-Per-View. My girlfriend, Cindy, can’t wait for you to take your shirt off. Her boyfriend’s jealous.”

Sam grinned. “Okay, okay. Let me think. Tell Cindy when I look into the camera, I’ll flex my pecs. Make sure her stud knows I did it just for her.”

Melissa giggled. “Her boyfriend is gonna crap himself. I can’t wait to see his expression.”

Sam slapped the top of the counter Melissa was sitting behind. “Record it for me, will you? I’ve got to go. See you Monday.”

“Good luck!” As she watched him leave, she exhaled, “I so want that.”

Emotions flooded Sam as he arrived at the MGM Grand. The press and the fans of the barbaric sport swarmed his dad’s stretch limo. He had not fought professionally yet, but he was already on the cover of ESPN The Magazine. He had to laugh at the headline:

The Smartest Athlete in the World

Dumb Enough to Enter the Cages of MMA

Tossing the magazine to the seat, all he could do was hope to give a good show and live up to the hype. He would hate to be the first cage fighter on the cover with a losing record. He smirked at the thought and stepped out of the limo.

The surging crowd pressed in as he walked toward the arena entrance. He laughed inside, thinking,
These people are fanatical. They won’t be so interested if I lose.

Women were shouting marriage proposals, which startled him. One woman lifted her shirt. “Sam Goodrich, marry me, and I’ll take care of you, baby!”