Prologue Summer 1986

Somewhere in Texas, it's Saturday, June 7, 1986. Six high school aged boys and one very brave high school aged girl play the pen and paper space adventure role-playing game: Space Lords of Strata, manufactured by Maypole Games USA, at Rick and David Thomas' house. An eclectic mix of The Cars, Duran Duran, Asia, The Power Station, Arcadia, ZZ Top, The Alan Parson's Project, Rush, and Tears for Fears is playing in the background. It is the first weekend of summer vacation.

"I look in the box," Monty said. "Is it there?"

"Okay roll." Gary, the GM (gamemaster) said.

"Ninety-one!" Monty said after rolling two d10 dice and taking the number as a percentage.

"Yep, the backstreet doctor put your earlobe with the transmitter attached in the box for you. He didn't cheat you."

"I feel my ear."

"It's there. The doctor attached your prosthetic perfectly. Although, it's still a bit sensitive."

"Okay, I don't pull on it or anything. Where am I right now?"

"The hideout is located in the Spaceport where the cartel controls several shipments going coming in and going off world."

"I look for the transports."

"You see them. They are not far."

" I go to the transports and look for one going across the galaxy."

"How do you find this information?"

"Is there a computer manifest or something?"

Gary rolled his dice and looked at a chart, "Roll perception."

"Monty rolled the two d10 dice, "Seventy-one."

"There is a data pad sitting on one of the loaders."

"I go to it, look around carefully to make sure no one sees me, and comb through the manifests," Monty said.

Gary rolled his dice, "You find one that is traveling reasonably far away."

Monty smiled at David, "I go to the transport and when I'm satisfied no one is watching, I toss the box with the earlobe and transmitter into the cargo hold."

David laughed.

"That's brilliant," Wes said.

Gemma, the group's only female player, pushed out her chair, "Before we get too much farther along, mom gave me some tortilla chips and salsa to bring over. I'll go get it. Does anyone need a refill on drinks?"

"I'll take some more orange Shasta," Rick said.

"I will too," David said. David and Rick were brothers with David being almost three years older.

"Okay, let's get back to killin'!" Gary said after the tortilla chips and salsa were put out on the table and the orange soda was poured.

"To be such a gentle guy in real life, Gary sure is evil in game! What is it you always say, Monty? Good thing Gary doesn't have an evil gem?" David asked.

Monty sniggered after he crunched a tortilla chip, "Yeah, like the One Ring. Good thing Gary doesn't have some kind of evil gem or something like it in real life or we would all be dead! Kill, kill, kill!"

Gary smiled and shook his head, "You exaggerate."

"I think he's just expressing his frustration from his menial job. He has to be all nice to the customers at the drive thru so when we role play he wants to hack and slash." Alden pointed out.

"There you go," Gary said. "Besides, it's illogical to have something that's pure evil. What is evil anyway? It's never been defined exactly. The notion of a One Ring or something that is just evil for the sake of being evil is silly."

"Hitler!" Rick said, "I'm pretty sure he was pure evil."

"Was he?" Gary asked, "Or did he believe all along that what he was doing was for the good of his people."

"The dude was evil!" Wes said abruptly. "You can't rationalize Hitler!"

Gemma took a bite of tortilla chip after dipping it into the salsa, "Sauron put his malice and hate into the One Ring so it could rule over the others and bind them. It was evil because it had to be. It wouldn't rule and bind the other rings with kindness." She blew out her breath and waved her hand in front of her face, "Man that salsa is hot!"

"Geez, it's mild Gemma." David said, "It's only hot to you."

"Still, evil for the sake of evil is silly. No one wakes up one day and says, gee, I think I will be evil today. Where's a puppy to kick?" Gary said.

David snapped his fingers, "The Loc-nar from Heavy Metal. It's the sum of all the evil in the universe and it's a spherical glowing green gem, evil for the sake of being evil.

"Is it a gem?" Gemma asked.

"It's a green glowing ball," David said, "close enough."

"Then it's a good thing Gary doesn't have the Loc-nar," Monty said.

"It would most likely burn his face off if he tried to pick it up. Remember the guy who brought it home to his daughter? It disintegrated him." Wes said.

"I'm going to have to see that movie someday," Gemma concluded.

"You've never seen Heavy Metal?" Monty asked. Gemma shook her head. "We'll have to rent it or find it somewhere."

"I don't think it's out on VHS. I looked a while back and couldn't find it anywhere." David said. "I saw it on HBO a few months back but I don't think it's playing there anymore either."

"You're lucky you have a VCR. My dad says even the cheap ones are at least three hundred bucks!" Wes said.

"All right, can we get back to playing SLS? Gary asked. "I want to see some heads roll!" He looked at Monty whose face was lighting up, "Don't say it."

"We should be wrapping up anyway. Mom and Dad will be home soon." Rick said.

"Where did they go again?" Monty asked.

"Dad is in some charity play at the community theater. They're at rehearsal." Rick rolled his eyes, "You should hear the premise. It's called Robots are Rad. The charity is sound. It's for kids learning to read but Dad running around in a robot suit giving kids books to read is comical.

"He has a robot suit?" Wes burst out in laughter.

"No, not yet. They are supposed to make one. I don't know how they are going to pull it off."

David took a drink of soda, "Ever since Star Wars came out, my dad has been obsessed with robots and droids."

"Well, his heart is in the right place. We shouldn't be laughing at him." Gemma said.

Lightning flashed and a few seconds later thunder crashed rattling the windows of the house.

"Whoa, that was pretty loud," David said. He got up from the kitchen table and clicked on the thirteen-inch color television sitting in a corner of the long kitchen counter. He turned the dial, each turn making a clunking sound until he found a weather bulletin. The radar image displayed showed an enormous early summer thunderstorm overhead. The weatherman warned about rotation signifying the thunderstorm may be tornadic. "Maybe we should go ahead and call it for tonight."

Gary began gathering up his books and gamemaster's screen, "I think you're right."

The wall phone began to ring. Rick answered it, "Gemma, it's your mom."

Gemma sighed and took the receiver, "I know mom, we just heard the thunder. What? Yeah, I can do that. Okay, see you later, bye." She handed the receiver back to Rick. "She told me not to get out in the storm and to insist we all go down into the basement."

"It's probably a good idea. Even if mom and dad come home, we can resume the game down there for a while longer and it won't bother them." David agreed. "Why don't you all call your parents and tell them we are going into the basement."

A few phone calls later and they were setting up the card table in the basement under the main light. The spookiness of the lightning flashing through the small basement windows and the sound of thunder added a sinister feel. David unfolded the chairs and they began to set up the game.

"Wait. I forgot the food and the soda." David said, "I'll be right back." he stepped onto the first step and froze, "Uh, guys?"

The others heard the sound of servos and gears buzzing with a heavy clunk of something on each step. David backed up, stumbling over the vacuum cleaner.

Rick got up to see what was coming down the stairs. "It's just dad with his new costume." He said. "They must have come home early because of the storm. Nice try, Dad."

The robotic, armored figure stepped onto the final step and then stopped at the basement floor with a heavy thud.

"Where did you get this costume? It turned out much better than I thought it would." David said.

Gary began to laugh, "Wow, you really went all out on this one, Mr. Thomas."

Lights in the robotic face began to flash and it spoke in a clipped, cheesy robotic voice, "We are the Jaddus Collective, you are the Space Masters. You will accompany us."

"The Space Masters, I like it," Alden said. "Your dad's fun!"

The robotic figure pointed at David, "Damien Storm, Pilot, smuggler, scoundrel, consumer of too much booze." It pointed to Monty. "Cornelius Jorell, smuggler, opportunist, weapons master, master of deception and disguise, spy. Shamelessly stole surname from father of Superman."

Gemma beamed, "Your dad knows our characters?"

"Doctor Amelia Mann, hypochondriac, self-medication expert, computer systems expert. ditsy broad."

"Hey!" Gemma protested.

Wes chuckled nervously garnering the robotic intruder's attention. "Ris Harne of the house Harne, prince, telepath, arms expert, power sword wielder, poor man's Jedi."

"Gary! I thought you said my background stuff was a secret at this point in the game."

Gary stood, "It is. How the heck did you know that, Mr. Thomas?" He eyed the robot suspiciously. "Mr. Thomas?"

The robot pointed a mechanical finger at Gary. "Doctor Thomas Bright, Antagonist, evil for the sake of being evil, wielder of the evil gem. Kicker of puppies."

"All right, you have been listening to our conversations. Dude, this is weird. What's going on? I don't think this thing is your dad." Alden said.

"Dean Reyes, explorer, computer systems expert, atmospheric scientist, engineer, starship systems expert, general sarcastic ass."

"He has you there," Rick said.

"Mic De'gene, species Booturian, tank, tough but of small stature, hates bugs and beggars, melee expert, former space marine, speaks with an alien accent, obsessed with healing and meds, puts most of his points in presence to "sneak," nickname, big guy.

"Only Reyes calls me that!"

"The Space Masters confirmed; you will accompany us now!" The mechanical man pointed what looked like a television remote control. It emitted a beam that widened and encompassed the entire basement.

David and the others clasped their heads in their hands as it felt they might explode and then everything went dark.

The thunder roared outside the window as the entirety of the basement began to shake, then shimmer, then fade away.