Chapter 5


Later that day, Colin made his way to the mess hall for lunch, finding the menu to be rather
unimpressive with its dry chicken. However, there was a consolation in the form of butterscotch
pudding that everyone received. After collecting his food, Colin quickly spotted Tyree and
approached him. Reluctantly, Ashley was sitting next to Tyree, creating a tension-filled
atmosphere. Colin took a seat across from them.
” So you’re from Detroit, Ashley?” he asked, attempting to break the ice.
“Unfortunately,” she replied curtly, not showing much enthusiasm for conversation.
Tyree, ever attuned to social cues, raised an eyebrow at Colin. Colin, undeterred, continued his
effort to engage her.
“I hear that the city has really turned a corner. Starting to become a cool place,” Colin remarked.
Ashley couldn’t help but chuckle to herself. “If you’re looking for burnouts and bums, then it’s
paradise,” she joked, revealing a hint of her dry humor.
Colin, seemingly unbothered by the lack of response, began to timidly eat the food on his plate.
In the absence of a specific reason, Tyree decided to playfully tease Ashley.
“How’d you get kicked out of reform school? Too aggressive pillow fights?” he joked.
Instantly, Colin shot his friend a disapproving glare. Instead of responding verbally, Ashley
decided to take action. Taking a scoop of her butterscotch pudding, she launched the glob right
into Tyree’s face. Colin couldn’t contain his laughter at the unexpected turn of events.
Ashley and Tyree locked eyes as he wiped the pudding from his face, the tension now
transformed into a standoff. Colin’s laughter echoed through the dining hall, drawing the
attention of onlookers. A stern Sergeant, responsible for overseeing the hall, approached the trio.
“What’s going on here?” he ordered, taking note of the pudding on Tyree’s face.
Ashley shot Tyree a fiercely competitive glare. Colin watched as it appeared Tyree was debating
whether to tell the truth to the superior officer. Ultimately, he chose to shrug in response to the
Sergeant’s inquiry.
“I didn’t have a spoon,” Tyree lied, avoiding any potential conflict.
The Sergeant shook his head and walked away, apparently satisfied with the explanation.
Ashley’s harsh demeanor softened slightly Colin, still containing his laughter, tossed Tyree his
napkin to help him finish wiping his face clean, appreciating the humor in the situation despite
the awkwardness.

Chapter 5.3

Chapter 5.3
Later that evening, Colin had trouble falling asleep. His mind was racing with thoughts about
Razor and the events of the past 24 hours. Tyree was already out cold, but Colin knew that as
long as he was talking telepathically, his friend would stay that way. He grabbed Razor from
under his bed and wrapped it around his wrist.
‘Hey, you up?’ Colin communicated telepathically.
A few moments passed before Razor answered.
“Yes, I’m up.”
“I can’t sleep.”
“Does that happen often?”
Colin hesitated for a moment. He was still a bit on the fence about talking to a gadget, but what
did he have to lose? . After all, who would know?
’Sometimes. I never slept well as a kid, so I guess I never outgrew it.’
“As a device who was inactive for many, many years, I can testify that being awake is much
more fulfilling than a few extra hours of sleep,” Razor replied.
Colin chuckled softly, careful not to wake Tyree.
’How does someone become a Sword Master?’ he asked.
“Well, that’s a bit of a loaded question. Firstly, you must master the physical gifts we
cyphers grant you,” Razor responded.
‘You’re called ‘cyphers’?’
“Yes. However, it takes more than just being a great warrior to be a Sword Dancer. You
must hone your emotions to the highest subconscious level the human race can achieve.
You must be brave yet sympathetic. You must know how to lead but also how to listen,”
Razor explained.
Everything Razor explained somehow seemed clear to Colin. He believed everything the cypher
told him, whether it was about the history of his species or how to become a Sword Dancer, and
he absorbed every bit of knowledge. Commented [20]: instead of telling, show the reader

“One last thing that I must tell you about,” Razor’s voice changed to a deeper, more serious
tone. “When we came to Earth, there were five of us. However, one of us went rogue.”
‘Oh?’
“Yes, this cypher’s name was Venus, and she bonded with a very troubled man named
Hector.”
‘Where are those two now?’ Colin asked.
Razor’s voice was somber. “We don’t know. They disappeared centuries ago.”
Colin was stunned. He couldn’t believe that there was another cypher out there, and that it was
bonded to a rogue human. He wondered what Venus and Hector were up to, and if they posed a
threat to the world.
‘What should we do?’ he asked Razor.
“For now, focus on your training. You need to learn how to control Crush and master your
new abilities. Once you are strong enough, we can begin to search for Venus and Hector,”
Razor replied.
Colin nodded, even though Razor couldn’t see him. He knew that he had a long and difficult
journey ahead of him, but he was determined to become a Sword Master and protect the world
from Venus and Hector.