[00] The Teleporter

[DA 2009]

Tempo sighed peacefully, turning over in the nice, comfy bed as he gently drifted from a nice slumber. He clutched the pillow a little tighter, adjusting his head. Wait a minute…this didn’t feel right, did it? His eyes snapped open, and he looked around. How in the world did he get here? He lifted his head to get a better view of his surroundings, almost in complete disbelief. The boy supposed he should have been used to it by now. Somehow, he’d managed to go from a city to a hospital, not that big of a stretch, but it was to him, considering the last memory he had was Sophia draining his energy. Then…then he’d gone to sleep. It was pretty painless, now that he looked back on it. Not fun…but definitely painless.

He sat up, somewhat curiously, and rubbed his eyes. The fifteen-year-old saw a machine that looked a little like the teleporter that took him to Dante’s Abyss, and a tray next to his bed with an envelope addressed to him. Curiously, he picked up the scrap and ripped open the flap, pulling out a hand-written letter. It read:

Dear Tempo,

It was both a gift and a curse drawing Sophia as your last fight, but your run in this tournament has come to an end. I am sorry that you had to suffer so from your inner demons, whatever they may be, but perhaps now you see a bit of the strength you have that allows you to fight them. Your Sensei would be proud of you, I’m certain of it. I have also taken the liberty of throwing your pursuers off your trail; you’ll be safe for the time being, but my efforts will not protect you forever. They will find you eventually. You must be prepared to meet them as courageously as you met your fate in the Abyss. For your exit, simply enter the location of your choice into the keypad of the teleporter, and it will take you anywhere you desire. This should help keep them in the dark for a while longer. Before you enter the teleporter, take care to receive the gift I have left for you as thanks for your participation. Use it if you wish; I believe it will be helpful in the battle within.

Regards, Your Humble Host,
Damon Dukes”

Tempo got up as he tossed the warm, toasty blankets from his body, and headed directly for the promised package. He opened it, and pulled out another small box. The boy had to gnaw at the cellophane wrap and the stickers binding the cardboard, but eventually slid free a device from a Styrofoam casing. It was a brand new MP3 player, with a little note attached. It read: ‘Courtesy of Capsule Corporation, Mr. Tempo Uriel is to be given free and unlimited MP3 downloads for life. The memory is housed within a special, separate databank, allowing for an infinite number of songs to be stored within the player itself.’

Tempo unplugged his headphones from his current music device, and hooked it up to the new one. He pressed play, surprised that the battery was fully charged. The song that strung into his ears was “Anthem of the Angels.”