Chapter Two

Bluren couldn't believe what Tara just said. "How?!" She she whispered. "Its a long complicated story, that I feel I shouldn't go into now." Tara's eyes glinted mischievously as she said this "but, I sort of found it. It is the right one isn't it?" She said with sudden concern. Tara fished out a small chrome cylinder, no bigger then her thumb, and handed it to Bluren. They stood in silence for a few seconds, Bluren turning the piece in her hand, and examining every inch of it."It's the one." She said, her voice barly audible."Well, go on!" She urged "See if it fits!" Bluren picked up a box on her worktable. Inside there was a diamond-shaped object with two handles protruding out of each of the diamonds points. In the middle of the diamond, there was a clear hole where the cylinder was supposed to go. The cylinder slipped easily into the hole. For a moment nothing happened, until suddenly the dimond sprang to life, shining clear blue light around the room. Tara and Bluren were both thoroughly startled. Bluren had jumped up from where she was sitting. "I didn't expect it to do that." she said quietly. They stood quietly again. "What did she say to do next?" Tara asked "Where are her instructions?"

Bluren went to her bed and lifted the lumpy mattress. Underneath was a large envalop stuffed with neatly folded papers. On the front of the envalop in neat hand writing was:


My dear sister,

If you are reading this that means that I have been vanished. I am not gone, but I have seen where the vanished go, and it is not a place for the happy. The masters are becoming too powerful, they are vanishing ones of strong mind that try to defy the masters intelligence. Sister, what I am asking you to do is very dangerous. In this package are instructions to a mechanism that will bring down the dome connection, a project that I was unable to finish before my banishment came. When you build this, do not let anyone who is even slightly untrustworthy know. I wish I could spare you the risk of completing this task, but the vanishings have gone too far. The domes have to stop. I am confident you can build this. It's time to be brave, Bluren.

-Bethany

At reading the note, Bluren felt the little sting in her nose she felt each time before she used to cry. She felt this a lot, but never actually wept. She was trying to be brave. Inside the envalop were pages of instructions, creased with use, all hand written and illustrated by her sister, but before she could take them out and look for possibly the thousendth time, there was a stong rapping on the door. Panick flooded Bluren's mind. Chills went down her spine. The same emotions were clearly printed on Tara's face, as well. The instructions were back under the mattress in one movement. Tara stuffed projects quickly into boxes just as another chorus of knocks sounded.

Bluren went to the door and slowly opened it. Standing outside, was a boy about the age of her and Tara, a little taller maybe, and he wore the same dark purple coat as Tara with a monogrammed letter "M" in a fancy font. There was a very different defining factor about this boy, however. It started with the left side of his face. His ear was silver, and down the side of his face, flesh was replaced with glossy steel. His other cheek was normal. This continued on various visible parts of his body. His right hand was made with mechanical joints, as was the left side of his collarbone. His right eye was a human blue one, but his left was of advanced robotics, a darker blue, as if those who created it were trying to mimick the boys other eye. Despite this, the boy was handsome and looked kind and authoritative and trustworthy at the same time. After a pause Bluren asked "May I help you?". "The masters have a message for Buren Steelman?" His voice was a mechanical purr, "There are clearly internal gears as well." Bluren thought, too fascinated by the messenger to pay much attention to the letter. "Thank you." She said snapping out of her curious thoughts. The boy nodded and started jogging away with inhuman speed. When the door was closed Tara snatched the letter, looking it over. "Do you you realize what this means, Bluren Steelman?!" She urgently whisperd "It means they found you."