Hi everyone. This is a story that I've been writing. SO I hope you guys like it ^_^

<hr>


Prelude: The Universal Drag War

It was a Sunday afternoon on September eleventh in the year 2050. In days earlier, the people of Earth had established first contact with an alien specie calling themselves �Starlinean.� After days of planning and of preparation, it was agreed that the vice president of a nation called the United States would be the ambassador of Earth.

Since the unique specie did not want to talk on the planet, it was then decided that the introduction would take place on the International Space Station, completed years ago.

Dressed in a black suit, blank slacks, and black tie with a white-collar shirt underneath, two humans walked down the corridor of the space station.

�This gravity machine is working well. Remind me to award the person who invented this.� The man with a partially bald, gray head said as he turned to the person walking next to him.

�Yes Mr. Vice President. Are you nervous sir?� The clean-shaven, blonde hair, blue-eye helper asked as he jotted down some lines on his small notebook.

�Let�s see, I�m about to be the first human to talk to an alien race. Today will be remembered as the day when Earthling established the contingency that we are not alone in the universe. No, I�m not nervous.� The Vice President replied sarcastically.

�You�ll do fine sir. I was told that the alien has a translator that learned our language.�

�Can�t say I�m not impressed. They�ve been here for only seven days and they�ve learned over seven languages. How do we know for sure it�ll translate what I�m saying?�

The two walked to the end of the corridor and turned left to continue walking down. Outside the window was a beautiful view of blue Earth with the many satellites that were broadcasting the meeting.

�We�ll just have to take it on good faith sir.� The aide answered.

�Great. Just don�t make me look like a fool in front of eight billion people.� The bald-headed man said as he adjusted his shirt and tie.

�You�ll do fine sir.� The assistant said before turning the knob and opening the door.

As the two gentlemen walked in, the two aliens stood up and nodded their greeting. Both of them were the same size as the two men. The taller one was approximately seventy inches in height while the shorter one was sixty-five. Both had a slim green body with five long, reaching fingers. Their head was that of around the same size as the Earthlings with the exception of ears and hairs. Their eyes were large and round with a dark blue crystal encased behind it while their nose were the same size as that of the rest of the world. The same goes for their mouth and teeth.

�Kinda�short aren�t they?� The Vice President said aside to his subordinate.

�Don�t believe everything you�ve seen in Hollywood sir.� He whispered back.

After everyone was settled, the extra terrestrials took the first step and began speaking. In a garbled voice, the taller one said to the smaller one and smiled at the two Earthlings.

�My�ambassador,� the shorter one said in clear and perfect English, �says hi and well met.�

All around the world, citizens sat inside their homes as they watched the very first encounter with another race in the galaxy. Some were huddled within their blankets at night, while others stood with sweat falling from their forehead as they drank cold water.

The images were projected onto every network. On that day, everything in the world that had a monitor was showing the encounter. Throughout the weeks before, there were heretics who called the arrival of the aliens as the end of the world, while others believed it was the beginning of another golden age. None knew of what was in store for the star-crossed relationship between the two kinds.

The Vice President gave his broad smile and put out his hand, �Tell him I would like to say welcome on behalf of the people of Earth, and that this is a handshake that will signal our everlasting friendship.�

After a quick translation, the alien ambassador also reached out his hand and shook that of the human. The diplomat to Earth grinned widely and placed his left hand on top of the Starlinean envoy�s hand, and it took copied the procedure.

Cheers erupted throughout the entire planet as citizens celebrated in their first peaceful encounter with another kind in the universe. Yet, the celebration was a bit too early.

Only a split second later, through live television, the room inside the space station exploded into amber red as raging fire consumed everything that was in it. After the initial blast, the entire place blew up into a ball of flames that lit up the night�s sky. As quick as it began, the vacuum of space sucked the inferno�s life away.

The seven billion plus people on Earth did not know what to do. The shock was too horrible for them to comprehend. At first, they all believed that it was a stunt. In fact, they lied to themselves of what they saw on their screen was not the truth. The entire planet could not cope as to what had happened. And it wasn�t until the message of the Starlinean declaring war on Earth did they realized what had occurred.

And so, on that day, the intergalactic war soon to be called the Universal Drag War began. The alien race struck first by exploding an imploding missile on the state of Texas through their spaceship, obliterating every life form that was in it.

Immediately after the destruction of the lone star republic, the United Nations tried to establish contact with the aliens again in order to explain that the explosion of the space station was an accident. But, it was too late. All communicational channels were closed, and the people of Earth, especially people who called themselves Americas were on the blood of vengeance.

In the first week of the war, Earth suffered tremendous casualties. With over five hundred million people dead, and over five nations totally annihilated, it seemed as though the destruction of mankind was inevitable. Yet, somewhere in the deep dark of space, a cry for help was answered.

Coming just in time to spare the blue planet from destruction was another technologically advanced alien race called the Apostlen. The extraterrestrial were intergalactic merchants that operated across the galaxy. They had decided to help out the humans because the Starlinean had cheated them on an earlier deal and saw the vast wealth that planet Earth had to offer.

Seeking revenge, the Apostlen sold various materials to the newly created United Sphere of Nations that was created in order to combat a new, common foe. The United Sphere of Nations, or the USN, took precedence over all form of government on Earth and effectively replaced the United Nations. Here, all of the countries on the planet were represented with the five most powerful being at the top, the United States, Great Britain, Russia, China, and Japan.

The Alliance was made, and the counter strike was set to take place. Asking only a portion of the war�s spoil in return, the Apostlen even went as far as lending building machines for quick manufacture of destructive weapons.

In under a month, with over two billion people dead to the weaponry of the Starlinean, Earth launched its first fighter-based spaceship. Called the �Savior,� this vessel took on the heavy bombardment of over a quarter of the hostile alien�s space fleet. After winning five small battles, it was finally destroyed in a major engagement with five other unfriendly ships.

Even with its destruction, it still accomplished its mission. It bought enough time for the conversion of every factory on Earth into planetary construction places. In the three weeks that it bought for humankind, five other variation of the same battleship entered Earth�s atmosphere and began defending the blue planet.

After the initial year of battle, with over three and a half billion people dead, mother Earth was now ready for the offensive. Thanks to the help of four other extraterrestrial allies, the humans were able to find the home planet of the Starlinean.

For the next two hundred years, a stalemate took over the space battlefield. Every time it seemed as though one side was winning, the other made an impossible comeback and put the table back at even. It went on for over two centuries, and during that time, both Earthlings and Starlinean called in allies in order to help pay for their war.

After generations of fighting, the conflict became dreary upon both the citizens of Earth and of Starline, the hostile alien�s home planet. Soon, the fighters forgot about what they were fighting for, other than staying alive for just one more day.

Yet, in that time, humankind took a tremendous leap. They had colonized Mars and the Earth�s moon, as well as two other planets in other systems. Driving cars were obsolete and airplanes were replaced with flying cars that were able to go at an average speed of three hundred miles per hour.

New cities were rebuilt on top of the destroyed one, and unlike its predecessor, these one climbed into the sky. In a wave of new-era technology, metropolises rose to the height of a mile into the air. Houses and commercial took residence in this light environment while industrial based housings were gathered at the base of the metropolitan.

Advances in machinery allowed the creation of mini-computer chips to be installed into the brain of a newborn child, as well as the elimination of every genetic disease known to mankind. An intranet of communication and transportation was developed, thus bringing every connected body into communicational ability with every other linked one.

Finally, in the year 2250, on the Earth day of December 25, there was a call for peace. The now powerful USN took the chance and called for harmony. On that day, both the President of the USN and the leader of the Starlinean Homeland internal Protection, or SHIP, signed a peace treaty.

In that agreement, there was a unanimous call for peace. Both sides agreed that they were both at fault in the hostilities, and that the cause of the confrontation was labeled as a �misunderstanding.� Reparation were paid both to torture soldiers of Earth and of Starline, and in front of over a hundred alien species that were �dragged� into the warfare and of the countless number of life forms across the universe, the two-hundred years war had ended.

In light of the new celebration of a new era, the multitudes of inter-space organizations created a new form of entertainment. Borrowing elements from an old Earthling tradition called �gladiator,� this new sport was used as a way to symbolize the strongest nation without ever going to combat again. In a four-on-four fighting, the winner would be the last one standing, and the rounds would dissipate as the winner would keep on advancing until there were only two left standing in the arena.

These two would battle it out until there was a clear and definite winner. Whatever the race of the winner was, it would be the champion�s home planet that would benefit the most. Prices ranged from a high caliber indestructible sword to at least one house on every identifiable and hospitable planet. Thus, the newly created sport was called Quadra Battle.

The projection screen closed away, and the once darkened room was enveloped in the balcony light. The professor touched a button on his desk, and turned to the class to check if anyone had fallen asleep. The windows were automatically opened, and the bright rays of the sun danced into the classroom.

Somewhere, in the back of the room a boy shouted out, �Hey TeeJay, isn�t your championship battle today?�

A brown hair human male of approximately seventeen in age lifted his head off his chair and wiped away the saliva that was on his chin. His left eye was uniquely green while his right one was astonishingly blue.

�Good,� he thought, �I had enough of history.� Ignoring his teacher�s order, he picked up his backpack, rushed out of the room, and into the world.

___________________________
� 2001-2005 Hoa (Tony) Pham (that�s me). Tide of Fate/FF: Destiny of Fate project. All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without my written consent

I'm not going to comment on the subject matter, but there are severe issues with its composition I can address.

Exposition and dialogue don't mix well. A little bit of exposition is fine when interspersed throughout the rest of the material, but huge clumps of it covering a significant period of time should be clearly separated from any segment that includes dialogue. I get what you were going for, but it should have been more clearly defined as a history presentation from the beginning. Also, no history class would go through that much in one session.

Also, you mix tenses sometimes, inappropriately using past and present tense in the same paragraph.

I like a lot of your word usage, but other times, it's just plain sloppy. Case in point:


Driving cars were obsolete...

I'm assuming that you used "driving" as a verb. Otherwise, there's no hope for you. Anyway, the aforementioned word really didn't belong in the sentence at all, considering the context of the rest of the sentence. And even if you left it there, "were" should be "was."

I could probably go on, but that's enough to determine that you should spend some time refining your writing style before attempting a major project.

Heheh. Wow, I think i need to go back and redo the prelude. Hahah. Everyone have been telling me it's horrible compare to all the latter chapters. Thanks Prak for the CC, I'll see what I can do. But, hopefully, you don't stop reading. I assure you all the later chapters will be much better. I think there was like, a 4-month period between the prelude and chp 1. haha

<hr>


Chapter 1: The Quadra-Tournament

It was a dark place. There were few spots of despondent light, but they were just there in order to tell the guest where the exit was in case of an emergency. Distant echoes of voiced opinion could be heard, but they were nothing more than talks. The arena was being cleaned, and the fans were starting to grumble at its length.

In the dense darkness, on the far side of the stadium was a motionless figure. Behind him were isolated cries of support from his followers. There was a sign that had a heart and the name TeeJay behind it.

He stood silently without moving. He knew he had to save his energy for the upcoming final duel. As he rested his body, he could feel his legs buckling beneath him. His hands were shaking violently. Trying to control his nervousness, he began to think of things other than Quadra.

�This is taking too long. Stupid Araxcella. Should have just eaten the guy instead of dissembling his body. I�m talking to myself again. This is sad. Come on, I want to get this over with. I hate waiting. The more we wait, the more rested they will be. Why am I so nervous, I�ve done this before. Stupid TeeJay, stop tormenting yourself. There are three of them, but the only one I have to worry about is that Quarnak. Let�s see, the Araxcella is to my right, the Quarnak is in front of me, and the Indilao is to my left. I wonder where we�ll fight�� he thought.

Somewhere out of the darkness ranged a high, pitching sound, �Fighters, ready!�

�This is it. Father, I will avenge your death. That Quarnak will die��

He lowered his hands onto the ramp and held tightly. His heartbeat began to pulsate faster and faster while his lower half trembled at the unexpected fear. Even though the stadium was kept at a cool temperature constantly, he could feel his body heating up. Sweat dripped his forehead and onto his eyebrows as he stood patiently.

Suddenly, the darkness evaporated into thin nothingness as extreme distortion of lights pierced from the ceiling and onto the ground itself. The four corners of the arena lit up in white light as the four opponents looked at one another.

Hundred of thousand of screams and jeers traversed from the upper seating onto the lower half where the contenders stood waiting. The rectangular shape of the stadium allowed the sound to travel from one end to the other without disturbance.

�Go!� Shouted a voice from the heaven. The four fighters immediately jumped from the four ramps into the arena.

As TeeJay felled through a green barrier, his eyesight collapsed on him and darkness reigned supreme again. It was all the same, he thought. After a while, he opened his eyes and instead of seeing thousands of spectators around him, all he could see were giant trees and bushes dominating the landscape.

Looking up, he did not see the bright shining lights, but instead he saw the clear blue sky with small patches of clouds that were few and far in between. Surrounding him were dense trees that stood towering into the sky. Below the trees were strategically placed shrubs and fallen branches.

�So, we�re placed in a forest,� he thought as he reached into an empty space next to him and pulled out a silver sword made of the finest steel on Earth. His five senses on high alert, he began to walk through the forest with his muscles tensed for battle.

After a while of walking, he heard a mistake. Even though it was a low sound of a broken twig, he knew whoever had made it was regretting the deadly error. He made a quick decision and began to climb the stained-brown tree next to him.

When he had reached a place that he thought was a good hiding place, he stopped and slowly peered through a small opening in the leaves.

Below him was the Araxcella, a race on the far corner of the galaxy with four legs and two tremendous claws that resembled that of a scorpion. Instead of a poisonous tail, it had a poisonous breath that could cause its opponent to fall unconscious due to the smell. It was over ten feet long and seven feet high.

It had three eyes and a mouth that had two layers of bone-crunching teeth. Its face was shaped in an obtuse manner, and without any nose or ears, many considered it one of nature�s mistakes.

Yet, what it lacked in beauty was made up in brute strength. One of the strongest creation in the universe, it had the power to tear an intra-shuttle in half with its two claws. Rumored by many, there were stories of its bloodshed past in which it conquered nation after nation only using its devastating breath. But, its race had long since settled for political negotiation instead of force cooperation.

TeeJay knelt patiently and waited. He knew that the Quarnak and the Indilao was still out there, but he did not know where. He considered attacking, but realized it would open into a three-front battle since none of the three final contestants liked the human race. In a turn of event, the Araxcella sharply snapped its head straight ahead as the Indilao jumped out from the bush.

The Indilao was another entity that had a dark past in its history book. One of its more sickened features was that it was made up of parts taken from those it had won against. In a previous duel, it lost an arm in the match, but after it had won, it ripped the arm off its opponent and attached to its own.

Its unique microorganism was able to adapt the arm�s technique and flexibility, and after a day of hospitalization, it made a full recovery and had full use of the arm.

When the two aliens saw one another, they dashed forward and began their duel. High in the trees above, TeeJay knelt patiently as he watched the two enemies battling it out.

�If they�re here, then the Quarnak must be near�but where, where can it be��

Scanning his surrounding, he could only see the impenetrable forest, and the only sound he could hear was the battle that was taking place below him. Suddenly, at the back of his mind, he began hearing chants for him to shoot.

�So, I guess the crowds are getting bored. If I shoot, I will reveal my location, but then, even if I do, it�ll be a one-on-one match between the Quarnak and me. I have to take this chance. Terra, activate the archer launcher.�

The sword on his hand instantly disappeared and taking its place was a long, steel bow that was over three feet in length. Reaching behind his back, he pulled out two arrows and locked into its place and took aim.

Both of the fighters below him had skins that were thicker and more indestructible than titanium. Yet, everything had a weak spot and he knew that if he could destroy their eyesight, then they would be eliminated from the competition without making any noise.

He steadily raised the bow and took aim. After finalizing the distance and the effect of gravity, he let loose and the arrows zoomed through the air. Seconds later, the Indilao and the Araxcella were down the ground and disappeared. The silence of the wood had returned again.

As he was about to smile at his creativity, he felt an intense throbbing on his left shoulder and fell onto the grass-covered ground. He looked over and saw a three-centimeter arrow protruding from his body. A hardened laugh from behind caused him to roll over to see the seven feet Quarnak towering over him.

�Urisa Onrie Alnd Eins Arun�� it spoke in a foreign tongue.

�Terra, translate!� He said quickly in his mind as he pulled away the arrow in his shoulder.

��human. You think you are smart by cutting away the competition, but you only made my job that much easier.�

The Quarnak, one of the most violent being in the entire galaxy, was considered a modern giant. Its average height was at least seven feet tall, although the tallest was recorded at an astonishing twelve feet. Its skin was over two-inch thick, allowing it to endure pain far longer than the other competitor.

It stood on two massive legs and was graced with two giant arms that could crush a human head easily with one swift move.

�You came for vengeance, but, like father, like son. I guess it is just in the family�s blood to die by my hand. Did you know what he said before I crushed his puny head? He said that his son would be my bane. Perhaps someone should have told him that he wasn�t a fortuneteller. Human�you are so weak. We should have conquered you a long time ago if it wasn�t for the blasted protection treaty.�

�You know,� TeeJay interrupted the enraged alien, �You shouldn�t talk too much.� As soon as he finished his sentence, he jumped onto his two legs and kicked the Quarnak right in its abdomen, sending it stumbling backward.

As he pulled out his blade from the air, the grass beneath his feet disappeared along with the entire forest. A white light exploded again, causing him to close his eyes. When it died down, he opened it again and saw the bright blue atmosphere.

The trees were replaced with endless stretch of pristine, blue water. Looking down, he saw that he was standing on top of an ocean.

When he looked up, all he could see were the Quarnak�s shoulders as he collapsed backward with the alien on top of him. As it raised one of its powerful hands to slam down at its enemy�s face, the human pushed his body through the water and sank deep into the ocean. Before the water droplet that sprang into the air from the attack had reached its highest height, the extraterrestrial had jumped into the sea.

With his sword next to him, he slowly pedaled his feet in order to keep from sinking any further. As his opponent swam forward, he too followed suit and the two met in the middle.

After avoiding the initial attack to his stomach, TeeJay swung his blade and connected on its side, but nothing happened. Instead, it gave a wide smile and connected its fist directly into its foe�s face, clouding the clear water with reddish blood.

Stumbling back in the water, the human quickly snapped his nose back into place and swam right into the arms of his challenger. He quickly raised his weapon to deflect an attack from the Quarnak.

After a successful defense, he countered by thrusting with all of his might into the creature�s stomach. Pushing forward with all his might, he used his agility to duck an overhead kick from the alien and continued to advance the blade further.

When he heard his opponent�s torture scream and saw the water surrounding it was dense with blood, he knew he had pushed through the skin. With a quick kick to the wound, he sent his enemy back into the water but was pushed back himself by the animal�s immense weight.

Snarling its black tongue, it swam upward and jumped out of the water. The human closely followed behind and jumped above the water. The giant brute was on its knee as it coughed up the blood. Wet with water, it looked forward with eyes of hatred at the battered human teenager that had managed to injure it.

�Thought you were invisible, huh? Don�t worry, I�d studied you. I know your weakness. It isn�t your skin, nor is it your body. It�s your ego. It�s too big for your pea size brain.�

The Quarnak roared its disdain and began to shake its entire body. All of the sudden, one of its arm changed into a long blade with blackened edges.

��A shape shifter. So�that�s its secret.� TeeJay thought to himself.

It immediately pushed itself off the ground and sprinted forward at the human teenager. Locked in an intertwining duel, the two constantly switch side from the attacker to the defender. As the two danced above the ocean, water sprung up all around them while the bright burning sun cast down the extreme heat of the world.

With a quick motion, he deflected an overhead slash from the creature and kicked at its stomach. But instead of the animal reeling back in pain, it was him who stumbled backward and tried to nurture his foot.

Laughing wildly, the Quarnak vibrated its head again and just like before, its other hand transformed into a long blade. As soon as its shape shifting had completed, it dashed forward and assaulted its unprepared foe.

When the human tried to counter, it brought its arm together and locked its challenger�s sword directly in the middle. Grinning, it exploded its leg right into the human�s belly, sending him flying into the air and splashing at the other end.

Scrambling to get up, TeeJay shook away his dizziness to see the enraged Quarnak running directly at him. Swiftly turning sideway, he crawled toward his last line of defense that was lying only a few feet away from him. As he continued to creep toward his sword, he could hear the stampeding feet of the approaching alien.

When he felt the hilt of the sword in his palm, his enemy was already standing over. With a jolting cry, he sliced his weapon away just as the Quarnak was bringing down its twin arms.

Jumping out of bed, the human teenager quickly blinked his eyes and wiped away the sweat on his forehead. After realizing that it was just a dream, he fell onto his back and landed on the soft cushion of his bed.

�What time is it?� He grumbled as he wiped his hand through his hair.

Even though there was no one around, he could hear a female voice within his head, �Today is Monday the seventeenth, in the year twenty-three sixteen. Good morning TeeJay.�

____________________________
� 2001-2005 Hoa (Tony) Pham (that�s me). Tide of Fate/FF: Destiny of Fate project. All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without my written consent In short, enjoy reading. But don�t steal. Stealing is bad.

okay everyone. chp 2 is here hope u like it

<hr>


Chapter 2: A City of Technology

It was a quiet atmosphere. Small patches of light from the outside crept through the slightly open window blind. He rolled left and right on his bed, tossing pillows and blanket around, trying to go back to sleep. With barely opened eyes, TeeJay rolled off his bed and fell onto the soft carpeted-ground.

�Ouch�� he said out loud in the empty room.

After a while, he managed to gather enough strength and pushed himself off the ground and began walking toward the bathroom in the manner of a drunken person. After a long stretch and an ear-hurting yawn, he opened his eyes brightly and stared into the mirror that looked back at him.

�Terra�open the shades. It�s too dark in here,� he said out loud as he scratched the different parts of his body.

�I�m sorry TeeJay, but the shades are independent of my control,� a female voice spoke within his head.

He groaned his frustration, and began walking into the shower when he slipped on the wet floor in the darkness and fell on his butt.

�Ouch, dammit, Terra, can you at least turn on the light?� He complained with a painful face as he pushed open the shower stall and walked in.

�My apology,� replied a voice

A bright light came from above and as fast as he entered the stall, he exited with his body and hair washed and ready for the morning. Reaching down into one of the drawer, he pulled out a small capsule and began chewing on it. A few seconds later, he opened his mouth and breathed a wonderfully scented breath into the air.

�Ah,� he smiled, �no brushing, no nothing. Gotta love these pills,�

�Remember TeeJay, today is your first day of school at the academy. Your mom told me to tell you to try and not be too radical,�

�Radical? Ah, what does my mom know? Now, anyway, just do my hair the same style I guess. But�how bout this time, give me some baby blue highlights,� he narrowed his eyes as he looked into the mirror.

�I do not think that would look good with your brown hair,�

�Since when do you know anything about style?�

�Since the time you downloaded the style program into my mainframe. It was a few weeks ago,� she replied casually.

�Oh�� he hesitated for a few moments, �then what about blonde?�

A circular-shape machine dropped from the ceiling and encased his head. After a quick burst of light, it rose back to where it came from.

�Ah, I like it. Now, what to wear?� He said while raising his hand to his eyes.

After he had swiped his hand across his eyes, a projected screen appeared within them and showed the different clothing he had.

�Hmm�no�I don�t like any of these,� he commented. After a quick blink, different styles of clothing appeared again as projection upon his eyes.

�I guess�I�ll go with this style,� he nodded. A part of the ceiling fell again and this time it had a pair of blue pant, a white inner shirt, and a red outer shirt.

As soon as he had finished putting on his cloth, he walked to the shades and pulled them apart to see a dove perching outside. The windows automatically opened and he stuck his head outside and breathed in a breath of fresh air while scaring the bird away.

The white bird flew off the stand and into the sky where an air-car zoomed by with the driver screaming curses at the innocent dove. It continued its flight through layers and layers of traffic. Flying cars flew left and right without coming to at least an inch of one another. Some flew up while others dove down into the area below.

The sun cast cheerful yellow rays down at the sprawling metropolis. Without a hint of clouds in the sky, the pedestrian went on with their daily lives as if it was any other day. Buildings rose high into the sky while air-cars and airbuses passed between them, through them, and above them.

Elevated sidewalks called skywalks traced throughout the entire city. With a level at every one hundred feet, these technological sidewalks offered transportation to the inhabitants of the city that either couldn�t afford the cars or chose to walk. Humans and aliens walked passed one another without confrontation and there were some that strolled with one another.

These walkways went to everyplace that had an entrance. Children ran down these illuminated steps after leaving in the air-mall while their parents chased after them. Stores with exotics wares were numerous throughout the entire downtown district.

As the city spread outward, the height of the skywalks and buildings began to be less and less until they were at ground level, although these places were rare and few between, often only available to the rich of the rich.

The dove continued its flight until it found a spot atop a building that was several hundred feet above the city. A great sound from above caused it to look upward. There, a giant white shuttle dropped down from the sky and landed at a nearby airport where hundreds more were already beginning their takeoffs. Then, all of the sudden, appearing out of nowhere were thundering clouds. Soon, the entire city was carpeted in white snow.

�Dammit,� TeeJay cussed as he looked outside his closed window, �I hate snow,�

Walking away from the window, he rushed down the flight of steps and entered the kitchen where he was greeted with a beautiful smile from his mom.

�How was your sleep capo?� She said for a quick second and then returned to her holographic computer.

�Mom�can you stop calling me that? I�m not a boy anymore you know?�

After a quick laughed, she remarked, �If you�re not a boy, then what are you?�

�Well, an adult,� he replied

�Then, if you�re an adult,� she grinned, �You can finish this plan for further colonization of Hilaris,�

�Sorry mom,� he said with a smirk, �I got school,�

Before she could counter, he rushed out the door after grabbing a cookie. Shaking her head with a smile, she returned to her computer when she heard the door opening slightly and a familiar voice,

�Mom�can I borrow the car?�

�Get out of here!� She laughed as she threw a plastic ball at the door.

He walked down the steps and took a moment to look around him. The suspended sidewalk was free of snow and provided warmth to the walking civilians. Houses were all around him while air-cars flew in front of him. Early morning traffics were visible and audible as honks and shouts were heard from every direction.

He looked up and saw the snow forming at the top of the spiracle walkway. An invisible barrier that protected the sidewalk from cars also shielded it from the acts of god.

�Thank god that this city have sidewalks with indoor heater,� he thought as he began to stroll down the street.

Although it was early in the morning, the multitudes of sidewalks throughout the city were filled with humans and aliens alike walking on with their business. As TeeJay made his way down the corridor, he had a hard time avoiding the traffic that was going against him, having to dodge from humongous and often obnoxious alien that made no attempt of getting of out the way.

Suddenly, he heard a loud siren from behind. Turning around, he saw a polica car chasing another car through the air. Soon, more joined in as he watched with curious eyes. After what seemed to be a warning from the cops, the air-car being chases seemed to sputter in the air and abruptly began to spiral toward TeeJay�s location.

He only stood there and watched with his hand enclosed on his crystal necklace. The air-car came crashing down and when it was only meters away from his head, it bounced off an invisible barrier and came to an exploding end.

�Idiots�� he mumbled beneath his breath, �why run when in the end you�ll either die or get caught��

Those that stopped to watch the chase continued on with their lives as if nothing had happened at all. TeeJay walked on with his hands in his pocket. On both sides were vibrant banners and boards advertising the latest styles and gadgets. Finally, he came to a place with a sign that said �air-bus� and stopped. Seconds later, a speeding bus came and stopped. There, it launched out two small arms that first opened the invisible barrier and unfolded into a walkway.

Being the last to arrive, he was the last to get on. He took out a card and swiped it across the panel and began walking toward the back of the bus. As he casually moved forward, he looked left and right to see who he would travel with for the rest of the year. There were human businessmen, alien mothers, and other children of the universe. After finding an empty seat, he sat down while the bus withdrew its arms and sped forward.

He sat there by himself with his face looking out the window at the falling snow. After two more stops, the bus rose higher into the air and entered a suspended highway above the city, the airway. It was a comfortable ride. There were no bumps, no vibration. As soon as he laid his head on the back of the seat, an alien from the seat in front of him turned around and began staring at the human.

�Can I help you?� He said as he eyed the one eyeing him.

�Don�t I know you from somewhere?� The three eye, four arms, and pink thin body alien said. It was called a Rsara

�No, sorry. I�ve never met you.�

�No�I think I do. What�s your name?�

�Why does it matter?� He replied with curiosity

�Wait a minute�you�re him aren�t you? Yeah, now I know where you�re from. You�re that human in the Quadra-Tournament. The one who won the final? Can I get your autograph?�

With a smile, he gave a slight nod and said in his head, �Terra, send this person an autograph.� When she responded that it was sent, he said out loud, �okay, you should have it,�

The three-eye alien turned around, pressed a digitized computer in front of it, and out from the side came a print picture of the official Quadra-Tournament poster with TeeJay�s signature on it.

�Thank you so much,� it said with a broad smile as it tried to shake his hand, �my daughter loves you. She had always wanted to meet you. And now, since you�re living here, that means that she can,�

�Tell your daughter that I said thanks for her support,� he said.

�Oh, don�t worry. Wait till she hears about who was sitting behind me,� it commented in excited voice as its three-eyes shifted back and forth, �but, can I ask you a question?�

�What is it?� He asked as he shifted around in his seat

�Why did you let the Quarnak survive? I mean, you had him. Why�d you let him live?�

�I don�t know. There wasn�t any point anyway��

�But didn�t he kill your father? I read that your whole reason for joining the Quadra league was to avenge your father�s death. How come you didn�t do it?�

TeeJay closed his eyes as he reflected back to that fateful day at the Quadra-tournament final.

*~*~*~*~*

Sparks flew as swords and steel flesh came in contact. Both human and Quarnak flew in opposite direction as the force of contact between the two sent them flying away. With sweat and blood oozing out of his body, TeeJay struggled to look beyond his dizziness. His sword in his left hand, he looked over to see that his opponent was already up and heading toward his way.

He slowly stood up and waited with heavy breath. The illusion was gone. Surrounding the two fighters were thousands and thousands of screaming fan, cheering on their favorite fighter. The entire arena was illuminated in white light. Fights broke out among the fans as arguments turned into rage. But down below, the two warriors could only see the other and no one else.

He waited patiently. As the Quarnak came screaming at him, TeeJay planted his feet firmly into the ground. When the alien tried to swipe its dagger-sharp hands across his head, he quickly ducked below, swiveled his feet to get behind the alien and swiped his sword across the legs of the alien.

As it fell over in agonizing pain, the human fighter slash upward and sliced away the Quarnak�s left arm. Then, spinning clockwise, he reached up with his right arm and removed another saber from the main weapon and used it to cut away his opponent�s right arm. As green blood began to ooze forward from the wounds, he again spun from left to right and this time, he combined the two rapiers back into one and began to slash at the Quarnak�s neck.

Only inches away, he stopped. The crowd ceased its noise. The Quarnak was facing forward, on its knees with blood pouring from its missing arms. TeeJay was standing from behind him, sword at its head. It was a deafening silence. Both him and his enemy�s breathing could be heard echoing throughout the entire stadium.

�Do it�� it grumbled as if it had accepted its fate, �avenge your father�s death��

With his eyes narrowed, the human raised it sky high and brought it crashing down upon the creature�s neck when everything vanished and he found himself holding his dad�s hand. They were both sitting on the bench, watching the warrior down below practicing their technique.

His father turned to him, and said, �TeeJay, people ask me how come I am so strong, and you know what I tell them? I tell that my only strength comes from my family. Your great grandfather and grandfather both died in the Drag War. I wanted to fight too, but when the war ended, I still wanted to fight, so I signed up with the Quadra league. I�ve killed a lot of people along the way.�

The father turned toward his son, and patted him on the head, �TeeJay, I don�t want you to fight. Our family�s history is already filled with blood. It almost seem as though our family line is meant to fight. But, I want you to break that chain. When you grow up, don�t be like me. Study, and do something productive. I am only fighting so that one day, you won�t have to fight, and you won�t have to take the life of another living thing.�

The image vanished, and brown hair teen found his sword within inches of the alien�s neck. �It�s over,� he said, �I don�t want to fight anymore.� With that said, he turned and began walking away from the creature, and out of the stadium, leaving the entire crowd, world, and galaxy dumbfounded and speechless.

*~*~*~*~*

�Hey! Are you okay?� The Rsara asked as it began to shake his shoulders,

�Oh, sorry, I drifted away�� he answered

�It�s okay. So did you ever get the sword? I mean, they announced that you were the winner�so did they ever give you the Quadra-sword?�

�Yeah�they gave it to me��

�Do you think I can see it?� It asked carefully as if it didn�t want to offend

�Sorry�I�don�t seem to have it with me��

�That�s okay then,� the bus came a halting stop, �Well, this is where I get off. Nice meeting you. Haha, wait till my daughter hears about this,�

After a few more quick stops, the flying bus finally arrived at the academy on the other side of the city. He stepped out and looked up to see his new school.

It was a gigantic building with trees, grass, and fountains everywhere. With an entire block to itself, it lied at the center of two busy intersections. The main building was over a hundred feet tall and hundreds of feet wide. Coupling onto the main one were other smaller but still large buildings that held the classes and complexes. Air-cars flew over it, under it, and even to its sides. A mini-river ran from the entrance and circled throughout the complex with beautiful and often exotic fishes in them.

Other than the few custodians responsible for making the campus clean, there weren�t any other living souls.

�Late again�� TeeJay shook his head with a loud sigh as he began walking forward.

___________________________________
� 2001-2005 Hoa (Tony) Pham (that�s me). Tide of Fate/FF: Destiny of Fate project. All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without my written consent In short, enjoy reading. But don�t steal. Stealing is bad.

Those were pretty good.

Aight, heres' chp 3 everyone.

<hr>


Chapter 3: The Academy

The snowstorm continued its barraged on the sprawling metropolis. But the ordinary citizens continued on with their life. The academy was not shielded from the snow like the streets were. The once green field was now enveloped in angelic white. It was a winter wonderland.

TeeJay made his way up the flight of steps and walked through the automated door. He entered a gigantic hall with doors and stairways everywhere. To his sides were long corridors with classrooms. Marbled floor graced the ground with Roman-styled wallpaper covering the walls.

In front of him was a giant fountain with small fishes swimming inside. Green vines ran from the base of the pool to all of the corners of the school. Brushing the snowflakes off his shoulder, he began walking down the left hall and followed the sign that led to the main office.

Just as he was about the round the corner, the bells began ringing and soon the doors opened as students after students flooded out. Both human and aliens studied with one another. Caught in the wave of the advancing apprentices, TeeJay tried to squeeze through but the entire passage was filled with talkative learners.

�Well, I guess I�ll have to wait for passing period to be over. Terra, where�s my locker at?� He said within his mind

�It�s to your right,� a female voice replied back.

He walked over and pressed an unseen button. A holographic locker appeared out of nowhere and opened automatically, all the while with students passing through it as if it was made out of air.

He reached in and pulled out a history book and gave a loud sigh. He never liked history. He never cared for it. But still they forced him to take it.

Soon, the bells began ringing again. Everyone suddenly started to run to their classes. TeeJay wasn�t in a hurry. After silence and emptiness had returned to the corridor, he pushed off the wall he was leaning on and continued on.

Just as he rounded the corner, he bumped into a speeding figure and fell over onto his butt.

�Excuse me,� he said in a grumpy voice

�Oh, my apology. I�m so sorry,� an angelic voice responded.

Blinded by the light behind the figure, he couldn�t make out who it was until he stood up and saw the beauty that he was staring at.

With her brunette hair hanging beautifully from her head, she looked at him with her brown eyes, �I�m really sorry. Are you okay?� She asked in a concerning voice.

Whatever pain he had felt, it had disappeared, �Yeah, I�m fine. I�ve experienced worse than this. Are you in a hurry?�

�Yes, I have to get to class before my professor marks me down again,�

�Oh, then I guess I should be the one apologizing huh?� He smiled as he moved out of the way

�Thanks a lot. I�m Erin,� she stuck out her hand

�I�m TeeJay,� he shook it, �nice meeting you,�

�You�re new here�aren�t you?� She asked in a curious voice as she tilted her head to one side

�What makes you say that?� He said as he copied what she did,

After a giggle, she replied carelessly, �your eyes. I haven�t seen anyone with one that�s green and the other blue. Are they genetic or surgery?�

�I was born with them, so I guess genetic,� he smiled as he bent over to pick up his book.

�Oh!� she looked down at her watch, �sorry, but now I�m really late. It was nice meeting you,� she smiled and ran down the hall, �see you later!�

His eyes followed her curvy body until it disappeared. After shaking his dizziness away, he turned around and began walking when he suddenly bumped into another figure and immediately felt a gigantic hand around his throat.

�Who do you think you are talking to my girlfriend?� The figure asked in a gruff voice.

He looked up to see the three-eye alien. It was a Giga, an alien race on the nearest star that had skins like a lizard but with three eyes.

With a quick movement, he easily maneuvered out of the death grip and stood next to the eight feet alien. Behind the giant were his two cronies.

�Sorry, but the last time I checked she wasn�t blind,� TeeJay said with a wry grin.

The Giga turned around to his friends and asked them, �Did this maggot just make fun of me?�

�I think he did Spark,� the two humans replied at the same time,

With a nod, it slowly turned around and spun its fist directly at TeeJay�s face, who easily ducked out of the way.

�I don�t think you want to mess with me,� the green eye human warned his opponent.

�You think you�re big and all that huh? Then come on, let�s see how good you are in a Quadra-duel,� it growled, baring its yellow and dirty teeth

With a big grin, the human shrugged and said, �If that�s what you want�then that�s what you�ll get.�

All four began walking down the hall. Taking a turn on the second corner, they entered a giant building with complex machinery everywhere. Straight in front of them was a board of flashing buttons and switches and beyond that was a hollow circular space.

Spark entered the spherical room first, followed by TeeJay who walked to the other side.

�Hey, activate the Quadra program,� the Giga barked at his two yuppies.

Working quickly, they began pressing the buttons on the screen and soon, the circular room began whirling as lightning danced in the air. TeeJay was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed as if nothing was the matter. On the other side, Spark was stretching his arms and legs.

�I�m going to enjoy beating the crap out of you boy,� it said with gleaming teeth.

Somewhere in a classroom, an instant message flashed onto a boy�s digital eye-computer. In it was an alert that someone was using the Quadra room without permission. He quickly nudged his friend next to him.

�Hey, someone�s using the Quadra room, and I think it�s Spark.�

�Yeah? Who�s his opponent?�

�I don�t know. The computer doesn�t recognize his body scan.�

�That means that he�s a new student. Come on, I wanna see this.�

Both students sneaked out of their room, and soon many more followed as they hurried toward the battling arena. Looking down, they could see the yellow globe and the two students that stood inside of it.

�There�s Spark,� pointed a girl, �but who�s the other person?�

�I don�t know,� answered another boy, �but I got my money on Spark. Anybody want to bet me?�

The other students knew better. Spark was the best Quadra fighter at their academy.

�All right Spark, everything is set. What environment do you want to fight in?� The assistant shouted.

�I don�t care,� he barked back, �Why don�t we let my soon to be beaten friend decide?�

�It doesn�t matter. It�ll end before it begins, so I don�t care,� TeeJay shrugged his shoulder slightly.

�That new kid is confident,� said one of the spectators.

�Wait, hey, do any of you guys recognize him? Because I think I�ve seen him somewhere before,� said another voice.

All of the students stuck their face toward the glass, �no, I don�t think so.�

�Spark?� The assistant shouted again.

�I don�t care, just pick random,� the Giga screamed at his yuppies.

Sticking out his hand, a pristine sword materialized on his hand. With a grin, he said, �So, what are you going to use?�

Sighing, TeeJay pushed off the glass wall and cracked his neck. Raising his hand to his necklace, he pulled out of nowhere a blue sword with two small wings on the scabbard. Just then, a white light immersed the entire sphere, and the two fighters closed their eyes. When they opened them again, they were standing in the middle of a grassland.

�Is�that?� Spark stumbled in his speech as he pointed at the blue Quadra-sword.

�Ready?� TeeJay grinned slyly.

Before the Giga was able to react, the green and blue-eyed human dashed straight for it and began his attack. Slashing left and right, quicker than the alien could block, TeeJay began to play with his opponent. In less than a minute, he jumped back and his Quadra-sword vanished into nothing.

�You lost,� he said in a bored tone.

Spark didn�t even move an inch. His sword fell down in two, and his entire clothing was cut into small little pieces as he stood naked in the grassland. He could only stand there with his hands shaking wildly. Salty sweat fell from his eyebrows and onto his rough face.

�Did you see that?!� One of the watching student said in an astonish voice, �Did you see how fast that kid moved? He just defeated Spark in less than a minute.�

�That�s impossible. He must have cheated,� said another student as they watched the humiliation of Spark on the monitor.

Down below in the control room, a figure walked through the door and placed his hand on the two assistants, �end the simulation,� he said.

They complied quickly without any questions asked. A white light flashed before the fighters� eyes and soon they were back to the yellow spherical room. A voice spoke over the intercom, �Spark, go back to your class, and so will every student in the upper room. TeeJay, come with me.�

With a wave goodbye, the human left the room and followed after the dean of the academy. Up in the viewing area, the students had lost all respect for Spark as they walked back to their classroom. Along the way, they murmured to each other at the arrival of their newest student, the winner of the Quadra-tournament.
_________________________
� 2001-2005 Hoa (Tony) Pham (that�s me). Tide of Fate/FF: Destiny of Fate project. All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without my written consent In short, enjoy reading. But don�t steal. Stealing is bad.

And chp 4 everyone.

<hr>


Chapter 4: A Historic Lesson

The snowflakes slowly fell from the heaven outside the school. Citizens continued on with their daily lives. Time moved on slowly.

TeeJay calmly walked into the dean�s office and stood behind a soft cushion chair with his hands on the backrest. His eyes traveled around the room as he looked at the multitudes of pictures and degrees hanging around. Suddenly, a portrait caught his eyes as he walked over to pick it up.

�Quite a first day for you, isn�t it?� The dean�s voice said as he closed the door behind him.

�So, you knew my father?� He asked as he turned around and showed the photograph to the director of the academy.

�Yes,� the elder man with gray hair smiled as he looked at the photo, �your father and I go way back. We were born in the same hospital, and were raised in the same neighborhood. We were best friends�inseparable�that is�until we graduated from learning school.�

�What happened?� TeeJay asked with a curious voice.

He walked behind his desk and sat on his chair and motioned the young student to sit down. �Well, when we were young, we�d always wanted to be Quadra fighters. But as we grew older, we started having different opinions. After we graduated, he wanted to go train while I, on the other hand, decided to try out other jobs that didn�t risked my life every time I go to work.�

�I see�� the Quadra-fighter�s voice trailed off as he tried to search his memories of his father.

A woman knocked on the door and opened it. Peering her head in, she said, �Dean Cain, the representatives are here.�

�Tell them I�ll be right out soon,� he said as the door closed tightly.

�Why did you want me to come here? I�m already late for class�� TeeJay said as he looked at the director straight in the eye.

�Haha,� Dean Cain laughed with a wide grin, �you�re just like him.�

�Did you just bring me here to tell me this?� The young student asked rudely as the lights bounced off his blue and green eyes.

�No, I brought you in here to warn you. You are only here because your mother only wanted what is best for you.�

�And what is best for me?�

�TeeJay�do you really think you can go on and fight forever? Every four years, you risk your life, and for what? Fame? Money? There are other jobs that doesn�t require your life to be in danger,�

�Death is inevitable, so why worry about it when you�re living? If I don�t die in the arena, then I�ll die sooner or later. At least if I�m fighting, I know I�m doing something I�m good at.�

�You have already proven yourself,� Dean Cain raised his voice as he jumped from his chair, �you�ve won the Quadra Tournament. Your mom moved you guys here because she doesn�t want you to fight anymore. She already lost a husband to the sport. Do you think she can handle it when she looses her son as well?�

TeeJay only looked out the window as his hair bounced back and forth. He didn�t say anything. He sat there patiently.

The dean gave a loud sigh, and put his hand on his best friend�s son, �Listen, you�re old enough now to do with what you want to do in life. Don�t waste it on just one thing. Explore your options. I�m sure you�ll find at least one thing here at the academy that you like.�

�Is that it?� The young fighter asked as he raised his head.

�Yeah, go on. You�re already late for your history class.� The director said as he went back to his chair.

TeeJay stood up and said his farewell. As he was leaving the room and walking out the door, he peered back into the office and said, �Well, I�ve already found one thing here that I don�t like.�

�Oh, and what is that?�

�History.�

With the office behind him, the abrasive teen began walking down the hallway toward his classroom. When he came up a room whose number was 103, he shook his head and groaned. Putting his hand on the doorknob, he hesitated. With all of his strength, he walked into the room.

The professor, whose gray beard and white suit matched one another, stopped his lecture and turned over to the new student with the entire class. Feeling the eyes of the numerous students on him, the Quadra dueler walked up and handed the teacher a clear card.

�I don�t need it,� Professor Galh said, �I already know who you are. And so does the entire class I supposed. I saw you on the television. It was a good fight. Now, a question. Do you think that being a Quadra champion would allow you to be late to my class?�

Confused, TeeJay could only shake his head and said, �No.�

�Good. And now, thanks to your interruption, the class will have an addition assignment tonight,� he announced in a booming voice.

The entire classed answered in disappointment groans and moans as the fighter tried his hardest to not run out of the room when he saw a waving arm at the back of the room. It was the girl he met in the hall.

�Well, since Miss Erin is so glad that you�re here, why don�t you go and take the empty seat next to her.�

As the green and blue eye human walked passed the numerous alien and human students alike, he heard a trailing voice behind him, �Oh, I also received a note from your previous teacher from your previous school. You ran out on the test you were taking, so that mean you�re taking it over again.�

Sitting down on his chair, he almost collapsed from the embarrassment he had to go through when a sweet voice filtered through his ears.

�Don�t worry, he�s like this to every new student, not just you. In a few weeks, he might become nicer.�

�Might?� TeeJay smiled at the girl next to him.

�Well, we can always hope,� she smiled back as she returned to her notes.

Pressing a few keys on the computer in front of him, he activated the testing program. He picked up the glasses on the desk and put them over his eyes. The entire classroom before him disappeared as he found himself standing in a grassland field with the sun burning bright overhead.

The flowers were blooming, and the birds and bees were buzzing and flying back and forth. The wind was light, and for miles beyond there were only the green grass and the wild flowers. The clouds were scattered in the sky.

He stood there with his arms crossed. Suddenly, another person appeared wearing the apparels of war. A sword was to the person�s side with a small gun strapped to the belt.

�Hello TeeJay, I�m glad to see you back again. You ran out last time, so the answers you gave were nullified. I�m sorry, but there�s nothing I can do,� The man spoke.

�Terra,� the dueler said out loud, �can you do anything about this?�

�I�m sorry TeeJay,� replied a voice, �But he�s right. It was a rule of the test, and I cannot break it,�

�Now, if you�re ready,� the man said again, �let�s begin the test.�

�So where�s the army?�

�They�re coming,�

The holographic man led the young fighter into a small valley with blossoming flowers. They stood there and waited. Seconds passed, and suddenly, a low rumbling caused the birds and bees to fly into the air. Appearing on one side was a human army wearing blue, and on the other side was a battalion wearing gray. Their swords were by their side while their guns were already drawn.

After a few quick shouts, the trembling sounds of shooting guns filled the air. Blood fell from the body, along with limbs and body parts. When both sides were littered with rotting corpse, the shooting stopped, as the two armies froze in mid-action.

�Who are the two sides fighting one another?� The holographic man asked.

�The Union army and the Confederate army,� TeeJay replied in a bored tone.

�Correct. What war is this?�

�The civil war.�

�Wrong.�

�Fine,� he commented, �The United State�s Civil War.�

�Correct. How long was this civil war?�

�Four years,� the Quadra dueler replied.

As soon as the last question was answered, the two sides were unfroze. After quick shouts of order, they both drew their swords and charged at one another. Thousands of men charged at their common comrade in the name of loyalty to their nation. Their feet pounded the strong dirt beneath. Standing in the middle was TeeJay and the holographic teacher.

The two enemies collided in the middle. Sounds of sword hitting one another spilt forth into the air as body fell. The green grassland immediately turned into a red battlefield. Again, the action froze as the teacher asked his questions, �What were the casualties of this battle?�

�Specific?� The human boy questioned with raised eyebrows.

�Specific or general,� the voice answered.

�At least ten thousand,�

Outside the virtual testing, time passed, and after an hour, the bell rung and the students hurriedly packed their belongings and left the class. Lifting the glasses away from his eyes, TeeJay stood up and stretched his arms. He walked up to the front and handed a semi-transparent card to his teacher.

�There�s the result,� he said as he walked for the door.

�Good job,� came a voice from behind.

Without turning around to see if he had imagined what he had just heard, TeeJay opened the door and heard his stomach rumbled in pain. Patting it gently, he left the classroom and began his travel toward the cafeteria.

_____________________________
� 2001-2005 Hoa (Tony) Pham (that�s me). Tide of Fate/FF: Destiny of Fate project. All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without my written consent In short, enjoy reading. But don�t steal. Stealing is bad.

and chp 5.

<hr>


Chapter 5: My Life

The hallway was packed. Students were opening and closing their holographic lockers. Some grabbed their homemade food, while others put away their book. Hanging on both side above the lockers were active promotional posters. They spewed forward the latest shoes and clothing style.

As TeeJay made his way forward, he could feel the students� eyes on him. They were looking at him as he passed by. Not knowing what to do, he tried his best not to look nervous and continued on walking. After getting lost quite a bit, he had made it to the cafeteria.

It was a gigantic arena. Its ceiling was over four stories high, and it was over fifty yards long and sixty yards wide. Hanging high over the heads of the students were various banners of championship won and battles earned. On both sides were cooks preparing food. In between were benches that were already filled up as he entered the room. The flooring was Starlinean marble, and the wallpapers sparkled forward their beauty.

High above, sunlight entered the cleared glass. Vines and exotic plants climbed and traversed their way across the ceiling while television and banners advertised their wares and products. The commercials were ironically drowned out by the conversations of the thousands of students in the court.

Pushing his way through the crowd, TeeJay strolled over to one of the serving area and grabbed his food. With meal and drinks in his tray, he felt the inner court was too crowded for him. After a few minutes of walking, he exited the cafeteria and entered the outdoor eating area. It was only twenty feet wide, but it was as long as the inside eating area.

Decorated umbrellas were placed at every table, along with seating made from the same material as the floor. Various plants and vines climbed along the railing. Only a reach a way were speeding air-cars and the high-street. The sky was blanketed with falling snowflakes. It was a white day. Yet, thanks to the protective shield, the outside yard was snow-free.

He found a table for four right by the edge and took his seat. After a few quick bites, he looked up at the holographic television screen to find out that the scientists had made a breakthrough.

�We�re here at the Oathox Science Building,� the Reporter explained into the camera, �to detail to you a breakthrough in science. Professor Hope, can you tell us what you have discovered this time?�

The professor, a beautiful lady of brunette hair with glasses replied, �I�m happy to say that this is a victory for the law enforcement of the galaxy. We have found a way to go back to the very scene of the incident through the victims and the accused. We have discovered a portion of the brain that saved data of what is seen, touched, felt, smelled, and heard at the time of the crime. Because the memory doesn�t disappear, we are able to bring it back, even if the person is dead. Thanks to this technology, officers have been able to reopen unsolved case. Here, I�ll demonstrate an example. Would you be willing to volunteer?�

After the reporter had agreed, the professor stuck a small cylinder object up the nose and left it there for ten seconds. After the time was up, she removed it and put it into a machine.

�Now, let�s see what you ate for breakfast shall we? We�ll retrieve your memory from this morning, and look, voila. The screen here projects forward what you saw, the speakers amplify what you heard, and the readings will tell us what you taste, felt, and smelled during your breakfast.�

�Hey!�

Surprised, TeeJay jumped at the sound of the voice. Looking over, he saw that it was the girl whom he had bumped into before.

�Did I surprise you?� She flashed her beautiful smile.

�Oh�umm�no, I was�I was just watching the�� he stumbled with his choice of words as he rubbed his head out of embarrassment.

Giggling, she asked, �So�are you going to invite me to sit down? Or should I stand and talk?�

�Oh! Sorry, yeah, go ahead, you can sit,� he tried to fake a smile.

Still giggling, she said, �You�re funny. So, what are you watching?�

�Oh, nothing really. Just some technological breakthrough. But then again, they�re always having miracle breakthroughs,� he replied as he took his eyes from the screen and stared into her eyes.

�So, are the rumors true?� She asked with a hint of interest in her eyes.

�What do you mean?� He tried to play it off as if he didn�t know.

�Well, there�s a rumor that the Quadra champion of Earth is a student here. And that the student is you,� she said while looking into his green and blue eyes.

�Do you believe those rumors?� He again acted as if he didn�t know.

�I don�t know really. But I do know for one thing. Not many people have eyes like yours genetically. People do them by surgery, or their parents altered their gene to make it so. But, yours came natural didn�t it? I don�t know how many people in the world have them naturally, but I do know one, and he is the winner of the Quadra Tournament,� she replied.

�Then I guess those rumors are true then,� he smiled.

�I also heard,� she tilted her head to one side, �you made a fool out of Spark in the simulator room,�

�Sorry�� TeeJay lowered his head, �I didn�t mean to embarrass your boyfriend.�

At the sound of the word, she burst out laughing, �Haha, you thought that he was my boyfriend? That�s far from the truth. Let�s just say he�s a persistent person.�

�Haha, well, at least his ego isn�t as big as it was before huh?�

�Yeah�� she broke off into a silent thought.

�What is it?�

�Were you scared? You know, when you were fighting the others? Did you ever think about what would happen if you had died?�

�I tried not to really,� he replied frankly as he took a sip of his drink, �When you fight, you can�t worry about dying, because if you do, it will occupy your mind, and instead of paying attention to your opponent, you worry about something else. That would be the deadliest mistake a fighter can make.�

�So, how are you enjoying your first day here?� She questioned him in a honest voice.

�I like it, I guess. It�s bigger than my last school. Too much walking. But I like it. It�s pretty nice,� he said as he threw the cup into a nearby trashcan.

�So, do you have any special lady in your life right now?� She gave a wide grin.

�It depends, are you interested?� He returned the smirk.

They both laughed loudly and jovially. At the sound of their laughter, the other students turned to see what was happening. But when they found out that nothing interesting occurred, they returned back to conversation.

She picked up a green apple and took a small bite out of it, and then turned to him and asked, �Hey, is TeeJay your real name?�

He drifted away for a second, and appeared to not have been paying attention.

�Hey!� She said out loud.

�Oh, sorry,� he apologized, �were you saying something?�

�Yeah, is TeeJay your real name?� she asked again.

�Well, it�s actually my stage name. Or I guess you can call it that. My real name is Thomas-James. And when I was young, people didn�t like saying my full name, so they just abbreviate it to TJ. And then when I started the Quadra league, the fans thought it would be clever to spell it as T, e, e, a capital J, a, and then y. Say the same way, except with four more letters,� he explained in one breath.

�Oh�hey, what are you doing tonight?� She asked out of nowhere.

�Umm�hmm�I don�t know. Why? What are you doing?� He questioned back as he leaned on his chair.

�There�s an air-car race tonight at the Pory District. You should come, it could be fun,� she said in an inviting tone.

�Sorry, but I�m not much of a racer. A fighter yeah�but I don�t know how to race,� he commented.

�Do you have an air-car?�

�Well�yeah�but��

�Then you got nothing to worry about. Come on, it�ll be fun. You don�t have to race, but you�ll get to see some of the finest air-car around,� she nodded her head.

�Hmm�what�s the catch?� A grin came onto his face.

�What do you mean a catch?� she tried to act innocent.

�All right, come on, what is it? I can see it in your eyes.�

�No, there�s no catch. It�s just�there�s this girl I know that�s going, and she stole my last boyfriend from me, and so�well�I just want to show up with you to make her jealous,� she tried to avoid looking into his eyes.

�Haha, I guess I�ll do it. Better than staying at home I guess,� he laughed as he stared up into the falling snow.

�Awe, thank you so much,� she said as she got up and hugged him. Then, they both came crashing down as his chair flipped over.

Lying on top of him, she started giggling. They lied like that for the next few seconds, and then the bell rang. She got up and helped him off his feet.

�Sorry about that,� she apologized with a blush on her face.

�It�s okay. It happens all the time,� he tried to lie with small red patches on his cheeks.

�That�s the bell. I got to go to class. I�ll call you tonight, yeah? Bye!� She waved him farewell and left.

�Wait! Hmm, Terra, can you get an uplink onto her onboard computer,� he thought as he brushed the dirt off his clothing.

�I�m sorry TeeJay, but she doesn�t have one,� a digitized voice replied.

�Weird�upper citizens should have one. Well, I guess if she doesn�t call me, I can call her,� he said as he reached out his hand and passed it through the protective barrier. After catching a snow, he brought it back and dropped it onto the ground. With a smile on his face, he left for his next class.

The sun waned above the horizon, and the Quadra fighter opened the door to his house. He walked over to the sofa and slumped down with a load sigh of relief. His first day at his new school wasn�t bad. He made a few friends. Thinking back, he wondered how he made it through the classes after his lunch break. They were easy to understand and learn, but he slept through most of the lesson.

The golden sun slyly penetrated the glass window, casting low shadows on the objects in the house. Thanks to the air conditioning system, his home was kept at a cool temperature throughout the day. Realizing that his mom wasn�t home yet, he shifted his feet onto the sofa and lied back on his head.

His muscles ached from the fight at school while his head twirled with dizziness. His stomach growled from the lack of food, adding into the torment.

�Thank God that tomorrow there�s no school,� he thought to himself.

A sudden, sweet smelling scene crept up the nostrils of his nose and registered an image in his brain.

�Guess Mom must have left me food,� he pondered.

Standing up from the cushion seat, he headed over to the small, compact kitchen area and opened an enclosed capsule to reveal the food his mom had made. He popped open the refrigerator and removed a drink. He took the two to the nearby glass table and began eating his dinner. The food was a welcoming sight for his stomach. Filled, he brought the dirty plate and cup over to a machine and put it into the machine. Seconds later, he took out the newly washed and rinsed eating wares.

While walking to his room, a nearby telephone rang with great intensity. He pushed an invisible button and out came a transparent screen. Unseen machines started twisting and whirling, and soon, a 3-D image appeared.

�Hey TeeJay!� greeted the girl on the screen.

�Hey,� he said out of surprised, �how did you get my number? I forgot to give it to you.�

�Oh, that�s okay. I�d managed to find it anyway,� she said with a broad grin on her face.

�So, what�s up?� He asked as he walked down the hall and into his room.

As he entered, the original screen disappeared and out came another one by the side of his bed.

�Well, are you still coming with me to that thing tonight?� She replied with a question on her face.

�Umm�yeah I guess, if you want me to,� he answered while scratching the back of his head.

�Haha, you�re funny. Yeah, of course I want you to go. I mean, if I didn�t, then I wouldn�t have invited you in the first place right?� She put her hand over her mouth to cover her giggling.

�I guess, but umm�my mom took the only air-car,� he mumbled in a low tone.

�Oh, if that�s the case, then I�ll come and pick you up yeah?� she said with a brightened face.

�You can do that, if you want,� he said halfheartedly.

�What�s wrong? If you don�t want to go, then just say so, you know? I mean, I don�t want to pressure you or anything,� she commented in a caring voice.

�No�it�s just that this will be the first time I�m leaving my house after school to go somewhere other than to go training,� he lowered his voice along with his head.

�Oh, well, that�s okay then. I�ll make sure you have a lot of fun tonight, mmkay? I promise!� She said in an excited tone.

�All right, when are you coming?� He said, still staring at the holographic screen.

�I�ll be over there in around thirty minutes or so. Oh, before I go, try and dress warm okay? It should be snowing tonight as well, so unless you want to freeze, I suggest you bring a sweater or something. Well, bye,� and with that, the screen returned to its original place and the 3-D image disappeared.

�Terra, can you buy me that jacket I was looking at a few days back?� TeeJay said out loud.

From a speaker high in the room spoke a female voice, �Are you sure? It�s quite expensive.�

�Well, I have to spend my money on something,� he said as he looked at himself in the mirror.

�It is purchased. It should arrive in your inventory in about a minute or so,� said the voice.

�Thanks,� he said as he took off his clothing and stepped into the shower stall.

Soon, hot water came streaming down the faucet. It splashed on his battle-hardened body and bounced off into the air. Steam rose into the air, causing the glasses to condense with water vapors. After his hair was washed and his body was cleaned, the auto dry cleaning was activated. Minutes passed, and he stepped out of the stall fully cloth, wearing his latest purchase. Soon, the doorbell rang and at the entrance was the jovial Erin, dressed in her warm winter clothing.

�Hey!� She said with a bright smile, �ready?�

�Yeah, let�s go,� TeeJay replied as he followed her into the hovering air-car right outside his entrance.

When the doors closed, the electronic display on the dashboard began lighting up. An electronic voice asked for the destination.

�Pory District,� Erin said.

The hydraulic machinery began whirling and the air-car slowly moved sideway, and soon launched full speed forward as it joined the others on the intra-highway. The snow was still falling. Its white surface bounced off the windshield of the flying transportation. Although it was already dark, the lights from the city flew forth with intense beauty, illuminating the roadways and walkways.

Looking outside at the speeding lights, he began thinking about his newly made friend. He had never seen anyone so beautiful in his entire life. Everything about her attracted him to her. Yet, he knew it wasn�t worth it. He led the life of fighter, not of a businessman or of an administrator. He understood that his life expectancy wasn�t long. Unless he changed his profession, he thought, he would never live long enough.

Weary of the hanging silence, TeeJay said out of nowhere, �So, what are we going to do tonight?�

�Well,� she answered as checked the mirror, �we can go visit a friend of mine who�s dying to meet you. Then, we can go to the dance floor if you like. I don�t know, we�ll just have to see when we get there.�

�Who�s your friend?� He asked with a note of curiosity.

�Oh, she�s just a big fan of you. I told her you were coming, and she got really excited!� She responded with a little smile.

Scratching his head, he said in a frank tone, �Umm�just to let you know, I�m not good at fan meeting. The last time I met a fan, I�how can I say this�let�s just say she had to spend a night in the hospital.�

�Haha,� she laughed heartily, �well, we�ll try and prevent it from happening this time okay?�

The air-car pulled into a parking lot, and latched onto a floating platform. Both of them got out on the passenger�s side and two speeding car sped right by them at lightning speed.

�Seems like they�re racing already,� she commented as she led him into an outdoor platform where hundreds of others were already gathering.

As they pushed their ways through the crowd, TeeJay felt a hand grabbed his shoulder. Turning around with his fingers around his necklace, he saw that it was an old acquaintance.

�Listen�I�m sorry,� Spark said as he beamed a threatening look at his two lackeys to apologize as well, �I didn�t know that you were�well,�

�It�s okay,� the fighter smiled, �I had fun,�

�Hey Spark!� Erin said with a bright smile as she appeared next to TeeJay.

�Hi Erin,� the giant said in a lowered tone, �you look nice,�

Just as the jovial girl was about to respond, a shout came somewhere up front that two cars were coming directly their way. As the crowd dispersed to get out of the way, the five stood there until they saw what the panic was about. Not too far away, two air-cars were speeding directly at them and the two drivers had already jumped out.

Realizing that there wasn�t enough time to run, TeeJay pushed Spark and Erin out of the way and shouted, �Get out!�

He reached for his crystal, which instantly transformed into the blue-glowing Quadra sword. In lightning speed, he slashed the first air-car in half, sending the two sides flying off into the distant. He turned his head to watch the magnificent explosion in the distant when an alarming shout caused him to turn around.

�Shoot�� he said as the lights from the second on-coming air-car flashed his eyes. He managed to raise his blade to defend himself. But, the force from the oncoming object sent him spiraling backward. He felt a sharp pain from his back as darkness overtook his eyes.
_____________________________
� 2001-2005 Hoa (Tony) Pham (that�s me). Tide of Fate/FF: Destiny of Fate project. All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without my written consent In short, enjoy reading. But don�t steal. Stealing is bad.

and chp 6 everyone.

<hr>


Chapter 6: Troublesome Son

The sun was slowly lifting from the eastern horizon. The neon signs from the outside world faded away as natural light filtered through the metropolis. Although it was early in the morning, foot traffic was already beginning to build. Early morning delivers were taking place. The house was at a cool temperature.

A woman slowly rose up from her peaceful slumber and stumbled over to the bathroom. The lights automatically turned on as soon as she walked in. Outside a holographic image of a young lady appeared from the projection machine.

�Good morning, Anisa,� the projection spoke clearly, �it appeared as though I didn�t need to wake you up today.�

The woman smiled and began taking off her clothing. Once naked, she stepped into the shower stall and turned on the automated cleaning machine. As water sprouted from the fountainhead, the image lady began reciting news that had occurred during the night.

�Anisa, there was a mail for you. It is from the director of the contracting company. They have agreed to your terms, and said construction will begin shortly on Hilaris, and they said it has been great working with you.�

Refreshed from the shower, the middle age woman stepped out from the shower stall. Pressing a button near the mirror, she opened her holographic closet and took out her working attire.

�Ah, that�s good news indeed, isn�t it Terra? Finally, after months of hard work, they have agreed to the plan. This is good. After just a few more paperwork, I�ll finally be able to spend more time with TeeJay. By the way, speaking of my son, Terra, is my capo still sleeping?�

�Yes, he�s slumbering like an elephant,� the computer said as she turned to look at the woman walking out of the bathroom.

�Ah, we�ll let him sleep a bit more. Wake him up in fifteen minutes or so,� the Mother said as she hurried left and right trying to gather all of her files and paper.

Leaving her bedroom behind, she walked into the kitchen where she picked up the cup of coffee that was recently brewed for her.

�Yum, this is good Terra. You�re getting better everyday,� she complimented as she raised her cup into the air.

�Thank you,� Replied a voice within her head.

Anisa quickly skipped over to the cupboard and pulled out a small candy bar. Sitting down on a chair by the living room table, she turned on the computer and soon began typing away her summary of recommendations for the continuation of colonization of the planet Hilaris.

Time passed by, and soon her coffee cup was empty and there was nothing left of the bar except the wrapper. Soft footsteps caused her to look from the screen to see her son already up and dressed.

�How was your sleep capo?� She inquired for a quick second and then returned to her holographic computer.

�Mom�can you stop calling me that? I�m not a boy anymore you know?� He complained with a dry grin on his face.

After a quick laugh, she remarked, �If you�re not a boy, then what are you?�

�Well, an adult,� he replied

�Then, if you�re an adult,� she grinned, �You can finish this plan for further colonization of Hilaris,�

�Sorry mom,� he said with a smirk, �I got school,�

Before she could counter, he rushed out the door after grabbing a cookie. Shaking her head with a smile, she returned to her computer when she heard the door opening slightly and a familiar voice.

�Mom�can I borrow the car?�

�Get out of here!� She laughed as she threw a plastic ball at the door.

When the house was silent again, she gave a sigh of happiness and turned back to the computer when the phone rang.

While typing away at the projected keyboard, she turned to the phone to her side and said, �Hello?�

�Hey Anisa, it�s Ann,� said a face on the other end.

�Oh, hey Ann,� TeeJay�s mother said, �I�m just completing the recommendation right now. What do I owe for this early call?�

�You better get down to the office. Did you receive the mail sent to you?�

�Yeah, what�s going on Ann?�

�Well, it seems as though the company�s head is reconsidering its decision. They feel that Chinya Corporation will do a better job than our firm at expanding Hilaris,�

�Chinya Corp? Hah!� She burst out laughing, �Those fools can�t even find the moon if there�s no cloud in the sky and it�s a full moon.�

�Well, no matter what, I suggest you get down here and change their mind. I�m having a hard time stalling them, so you better hurry up Anisa.�

�All right Ann. I�ll be there as soon as possible. Just stall them in the meantime, kay?�

�Yeah, I�ll try. Bye,� the image disappeared and the room was silent again.

Anisa sighed and gave a loud groan. �Idiots, just idiots. Terra, activate the car please and find me the quickest route to work,� she spoke out loud to the empty house.

�Yes madam, the car is ready, and the navigation is all set to go.� Answered a voice back.

�All right. And Terra, I don�t think I�ll be home early today, so make sure you have something prepare for TeeJay before he gets home, okay?� the woman quickly said as she rushed her paperwork together and hurriedly walked to the air-car.

�Okay, I�ll make sure he�s fed.�

�Thanks, I�ll see you tonight,� she said as she backed out of the house and sped down the sky.

Her air-car sped hastily through the traffic-filled sky, swerving by other hovering vehicles and dodging the traffic that had infested the metropolis ever since the great cosmic migration to Earth.

After a long sky ride, she hurried out of the hovering automobile and gave a key-card to a stand by attendant. Looking at her watch, she quickened her pace through the large office building with marbled tiles and high-rise ceiling. Two great statues stood towering over the secretary�s desk. One was that of a man biting on an apple and the other was a woman giving the apple to the man. At the feet of the woman was an inscription that read, �For the pursuit of knowledge, risks must be taken.� And at the feet of the man it was written, �The greatest mistake to make is to not make one.�

After a quick ride in the elevator, she got off at the thirteenth floor and pushed her way through the door where she was greeted by the eyes of the thirteen associates, the director, and her friend, Ann.

�Ah, you made it Anisa, but you�re too late. The associates and I have agreed to the terms proposed by Chinya Corporation,� the bald-headed director said with his fingers locked together.

With a nod to her friend, Anisa put a small device at the end of the table, and began, �Gentleman and ladies, I believe all of you are making a mistake. The firm I represent has been known for its efficiency and quickness. Every project that we have started, we have completed it. There is no reason or need for your company to switch over to Chinya Corp. That company,� she continued on as she walked around the table while pressing buttons to turn on images that were being projected from the small device, �has been known for corruptions and petty in-fighting. They may offer you a lower price than us, but think about it if you will. Would you be willing to put the lives of the citizens of Hilaris in the hands of Chinya Corp., knowing what that company stands for?�

For the next two hours, she continued on with her presentation. She explained her heart out, knowing that if she couldn�t change the associates mind, an entire year of planning and management would go down the drain. Time passed by slowly as she detailed out why her company was better suited for the job.

Inhaling a deep breath, she turned off the machine and waited. The associates turned to one another, and whispered into each others ears. One of them whispered into the director�s ear, and gave silent nods to one another.

�Anisa, the associates and I have agreed that we will go over the contracts again. Give us a day for us to go over our decisions. We will tell you our final verdict tomorrow. As for now, we have other businesses to attend to, so if you excuse us,� the bald-headed man said as he stood up and walked over to shake her hand.

After a brief round of shaking hands, the two friends walked out of the building and took a ride to a nearby restaurant where they sat down and gave a loud sigh of relief.

�Wow, that was pretty good Anisa. I think if you went any further, you would have convinced them that the sky wasn�t blue,� Ann said as she ordered her usual.

Taking her seat, TeeJay�s mom wiped away the sweat on her forehead and commented, �I don�t know. I just hope it was good enough to convince them to think otherwise. If we don�t get the contract, then our whole year of staying up late and waking up early will be all for naught.�

�Well, there�s no point in worrying about it now. So how�s your son?� The friend asked casually as she took a sip of her drink.

�You mean TeeJay? He�s doing fine�I hope. I wonder how his first day at school is,� Anisa answered looking through the restaurant�s glass at the passing vehicles.

�You know, every time I see him fight, my heart skips a little bit. I can only imagine how it would be like to be you. I heard he�s going to quit fighting,�

�TeeJay? Stop fighting? Ha! He�s just like his father. Never knowing when to quit until it�s too late��

�It�s okay Anisa. I�m sure he�ll quit soon. Shoot, I think it�s time we leave this place. Come on, we better hurry up before we get a talk from our director!�

�Yeah, let�s go.�

After leaving a card on the table, the two women exited the restaurant and got into their hovering vehicles. Their air-cars sped hastily through the busy traffic whilst the sky continued to cry white snow. Buildings appeared out of nowhere and disappeared just as quickly. Motorists seated themselves in their automobile, some listening to music while others watching the morning news.

After a turn at one of the metropolis� copious corner, their air-cars came to a complete halt. In front of them was a traffic grid.

�Look�s like an accident. Hey Ann, can you call ahead to the office and let them know that we�re going to be late?� Anisa spoke out loud in her vehicle.

�Yeah, I already did that. Looks like it�s going to be one of those slow day, isn�t it?� The friend laughed out loud.

�Yeah�� the middle age woman voice trailed off as she looked ahead to see the bumper to bumper heavy traffic that had succumb the once high flowing freeway into a dead halt.

With her handle portable machinery in her hand, Anisa quickly strolled into the office and threw her jacket on the chair. Sitting down and leaning back, she let out a loud sigh of relief as a familiar face appeared from the corner.

�Ah, looked like you took your sweet time getting to work Anisa,� the handsome young man said as he entered the room and sat on the desk.

�Don�t,� she blurted out, �even think about it. I just sat through three hours of traffic jam. Now is definitely not the time to make me mad!�

�Whoa, calm down tiger,� the man smiled, �had a rough day huh?�

�Yeah, I guess you can say that,� she replied while turning on the gadget that was in her hand.

�So how did it go? Were you able to convince them?� He questioned as he took a seat in one of the blue lean-back chairs.
�I don�t know. They said they�ll give us the answer tomorrow,� she answered while taking a sip from the water-filled cup.

�Well, hey, Anisa, I have something I�ve been meaning to ask you,� the young man said as he pushed his chair next to hers, �since everything is done and completed, I thought it would help you out if you go tonight, and have some fun.�

She looked at him, and said, �Are you asking me out on a date Robert?�

With a wide grin on his face, he responded, �Well, it�s just a dinner and a club. If you want to call it a date, then I guess you can.�

Just before she opened her mouth, one of the secretaries burst into the room, �Anisa, your son, TeeJay,� she said out of breath.

Quickly rising from her chair, she approached the young girl, �What about my son?!�

�There�s been an accident. The hospital just called me. They ask for your presence.�

�Oh my god, TeeJay�� the middle age woman hurriedly picked up her jacket and rushed out of the room and began sprinting down the hall.

�I wonder what kind of answer that was,� Robert said as he smiled and leaned back against the chair to look at the ceiling that was decorated with pictures of baby TeeJay.

_____________________________
� 2001-2005 Hoa (Tony) Pham (that�s me). Tide of Fate/FF: Destiny of Fate project. All rights reserved. Distribution of any kind is prohibited without my written consent In short, enjoy reading. But don�t steal. Stealing is bad.

�There�s been an accident. The hospital just called me. They ask for your presence.�

The one line I caught as I was scrolling down. The one line that is wrong.

There's been an accident. That is what you wrote.

It should be There HAS been an accident.

There's translates nicely into there is.

Therefore, your sentence reads "There is been an accident"

Did you proofread this before you posted it?

Nope. Such contractions are subjective to context. In this instance, "there's" is properly used in place of "there has."

Also, it is a quotation, so even if there was an error, it could be blamed on the character's speech.

Even if it can be blamed for the character's speech it still won't make sense because the character proceeds to say, "They ask for your presence." I see a formal tone there and the there's doesn't make sense, even if it was correct.

That doesn't show a lack of consistency because there's no possible contraction in "They ask for your presence." If he said, "They have asked for your presence," there would have been a contradiction.

Forget it. We have different views on the point. I guess it is up to the author what to write. However, I felt that it would flow better without the "there's". It is just my personal opinion and taste.

I see where you're coming from and I actually sort of agree. I'm just saying that there's nothing technically wrong with that line.

You are right in that aspect but I guess that sentence could be more reader - friendly.

I like there's. Plus, that's how the character wants to say it.

Those were pretty good.

turn off your generic comment generator NOW