Sullivan's Book

The Apostle's Mission

By Sullivan Alexander

Prologue

It is a time of great turmoil in the International Committee of Representatives. The taxation of trade overseas is in debate.

With hopes of resolving the matter, the Border to Border shipping company has armed their cargo ships and blockaded all ports to the American state of Alaska.

To oversee peaceful negotiations between the Alaskans and Border to Border, the Chief Supervisor of International Affairs has commissioned two Apostles, the keepers of peace and faith, to convince the Border to Border leader, Kyle Wayne, to disband the blockade...

Failed Conduct

The sleek and speedy luxury jet Dart II cruised out of its canopy of clouds and toward Alaska. Jonathan Laper peered out a thick glass window. It's so beautiful down there, he thought. His mentor, William Overbought, also gazed at the land below. “It's a nice land, John,” he said. “It just shows you the beauty of God's creation extends to all places, even very cold places.” John chuckled. William seemed to be able to draw a lesson from everything they saw.

The young captain, Joan Ryder, walked into the lounge. “Excuse me, gentlemen, but I am about to make communication with the command battleship and I will need you in the cockpit,” she said. John and William walked with her into the cockpit. Two pilots worked at the vast array of controls with a cup of coffee on either side. Joan walked to a revolving chair and started typing away at a computer. With a click of the mouse, a screen showing a rather nervous man appeared. “What is your business with my company?” the man said. “We are ambassadors from the International Committee of Representatives.” William answered. “We are requesting permission to land.” “Permission granted, but, as you see, our blockade is perfectly legal.” The image faded away. William and John walked back into the lounge.

The jet veered left and came down for a landing on the battleship's shiny black deck. As they zoomed down the runway, John saw several other battleships with autopilot remote control aircraft soaring above them. Robots patrolled the gleaming surface with acid dart launchers in

their hands.

Captain Ryder's voice came over the intercom. “Gentlemen, report to the boarding ramp. It's time to unload.” John and William followed her instructions and walked down a hallway to the ramp. The light above the ramp turned from red to green, and the ramp progressed downward until it hit the floor with a loud thud.

As the Apostles moved down the ramp, they were joined by two robot soldiers. “Follow me,” one robot ordered, while the other took off towards a spiral staircase that seemed like a shortcut to the bridge. The robot lead them through a door and down a hall until they reached another door with a sign over it that read: ROOM C-1. Their guide typed in a code that opened the door and revealed a room containing a long table with six seats surrounding it. A window showed Alaska and the hull of a battleship in the distance.

“Please take a seat. My master will be with you shortly,” the robot said. He left the room and walked down the hallway. “Something is not right. Armed robots, automated air craft, nervous commanders, and to top it all off, a forty-five ship blockade of a state that has little worth!” John said. “It seems that there is something more happening here than trying to end a debate.” “Perhaps so, perhaps not. Only God knows for sure,” William answered. “Don't you think we should at least recognize the possibility that something more is afoot here?” John questioned. “I didn't say I didn't believe you, just that we don't need to make a big deal about it.” William rebuked. “Yes sir.” John said. How often he had said that, John did not know, but it usually followed a stern reprimand from William. William seemed to know everything, but he never argued when John was right. John realized that he had made a big deal about a matter before it was proven, a habit William had been trying to drill out of him.

Suddenly, the door slammed shut, and the ventilation shaft started spewing out a toxic gas of some sort. “Take a deep breath!” William ordered. John obeyed, and tried to hold his breath. Unless a miracle happens, we aren't going to make it. John thought. And suddenly, one did. The door slid open. The Apostles heard robot voices outside. “Are you sure they are dead?” one asked. “Of course they are!” The other said confidently. John and William saw their chance. They charged out and tackled the robots. Darts whizzed around them. They looked up and saw four more robot soldiers running towards them. “Your sword, John.” William said casually, tossing the official weapon of the Apostles, the Laserblade Sword, to

his companion. The sword had been the weapon and a symbol of the Apostles since their formation. Their laser-tipped edges could slice through almost any substance, but due to the Apostles wish not to harm anybody, they could switch to a mode that would paralyze the victim. When it came down to security robots, however, the paralysis didn't work. Each sword could be traced to the Apostle it belonged to by its color, weight, and shape. John's was green, and William's was blue.

The robots fire rained down on them, but the Apostles skillfully met each shot with their weapons. Soon it was their turn to fight, and they rushed at the robots. William sliced at one's head, cutting off its weapon arm while he was at it, and John positioned his sword to deflect an acid dart back at a nearby robot. The two remaining enemies turned around and started to flee, but the companions stopped them and overpowered them.

“John, listen!” William shouted. Metal was clinking down the hallway! John had deactivated his sword after the fight, but William already had his ready. He cut a hole through the air shaft above them. “Just in case,” he said. Suddenly, they heard shots being fired at a much quicker rate than they expected. These were not regular robots, they were crawler-bots!

They moved around on twin treads and had built-in rapid-fire revolving dart launchers. Even the Apostles couldn't keep up with the barrage of fire. “Through the shaft, John!” William yelled. “But what about ...” “GO!”

They got in the shaft and crawled down the vent as fast as they could. John turned around and saw sparks appear where they had jumped through. “Thank God that's over,” he said under his breath. “We're not through yet,” William informed. “We can't get back to the Dart, but I bet they've got some other way of getting around.” John stared at a grating ahead of them. “Like this?” he said with a grin.

Through the grating they saw a large jet with a robot army boarding it. “It's an invasion army. I didn't think this was their point,” John whispered. “It isn't. There's something bigger behind all this,” William answered. “Come on. We have to warn the Alaskans.”

Often, we jump to conclusions. Like John, we make a big deal about the future, but we need to remember that tomorrow is in God's hands. In Psalms 31:15 it says that God holds the future. Nothing will happen that God didn't know about first! No trouble comes upon us that God didn't think of and plan for.

Will the Apostles make it to Alaska?

Can they warn the people in time?

Find out in chapter two: Making Friends.

Making Friends

The carrier circled around to land on an open patch of snowy ground while two robots equipped with jetpacks dismounted to check for snowdrifts. So far, so good, William thought. We've gone unnoticed the whole trip.

Inside the ship were several large tanks that carried large racks with robot soldiers hanging on them.

On the tanks were large cannons. Its blue and white color perfectly blended in with the snowy background of Alaska, and it moved with treads that kept it from slipping on icy terrains.

The plane landed smoothly and a large gate opened at the front of the cargo bay. William ducked behind the crate he and John were using to hide as several special Pilo-bots ran by. The Pilo-bots climbed into the tanks and started the engines. As the line of tanks joined the tanks from other planes, the Apostles sneaked into the line. Nobody noticed them, until they saw Harvey.

The Inuit had no idea a tank up the line had spotted him until he heard a loud cannon from behind him. Before he knew what was happening, William leaped out from the line and pulled him to the ground. The shot flew right over his head. “What are you doing here?”

the stranger yelled. “Trying to save your life,” William said.

“Oh, well, thank you for that. I'm Harvey.” Harvey had a boyish grin on his dark face and a thick Inuit accent.

Another shell hit a nearby spot. “We've got to get out of

here. You know how we can get to Willow?” William said. “Well, I know a few...” “Good. Can you take us to them?” Harvey's grin turned into a frown. “Well, uh, I can but I can't.” William looked confused. “I mean, I'd love to, but I am not allowed,” Harvey stammered. By this time, John had come up, and he piped in, “Well, I guess we'll just have to leave you here with the robots.” This got Harvey worried. “Follow me,” he said.

The Inuit lead them deep into the forest, stopping every once in a while to examine the trees or look at his compass. As they walked, William heard the sound of jetpacks behind them. “Hurry!” he whispered. “Don't worry. We're almost -” Harvey's voice was cut short by the sound of a laser blast. Two robots on jetpacks hovered out of the woods. Instantly the Apostles had their swords out. John sliced at one's legs, sending it of balance, so it crashed into a tree, while William leaped into the air thrust his sword through the the other one's chest, which caused it to explode in a huge fireball. “Whoa!” Harvey said in surprise.

“There will be more. How close are we?” William asked. Harvey smiled. “Right here,” he said, walking toward a boulder. He went right through it. A hologram! William thought. He and John stepped through the screen and into a dimly lit cave. “Harvey? Where are you?” John called out. Suddenly, John found himself facing two bayonets.

“You with the other guy?” the Inuit guard asked in a gruff, heavily accented voice. “Well, I guess you could -” A jab in the back told William that he was not very welcome. The guards escorted the Apostles down the cave in to a huge area in which there were several large stone structures. This must be their city, William remarked. They were lead up to the largest of these buildings.

Inside the building were seven men sitting around a fire. The one in the center was covered in a large blanket and instead of sitting on a pillow like the others was on a large wooden throne. William, assuming that he was the leader, addressed him. “We come in peace, your honor. We are Apostles and are trying to warn your friends, the Americans-” “The Americans are no friends of ours! They pushed us off our land and forced us into this monstrous cavern!” The Inuit leader growled. “Therefore, we would love to watch them suffer!” The men nodded their heads in agreement.

The argument began. William explained that once the Americans were finished the Inuits would be next, while Reuben Mettule, the leader, went on about how the “killing machines” would never find his hideout. The debate continued until John had had enough. “Your hideout won't remain a secret if those robots capture us,”

he said, hiding a smirk. That rash behavior will get him in trouble sometime, William thought. Despite that, though, the threat took affect. “You will have a dogsled and one of my guides,” Mettule boomed.

William stepped forward. “There is something else on my mind, Your Honor,” he said. “What will become of Harvey?” A devious grin spread across Mettule's face. “He will be punished for returning here. One hundred lashings, to be exact,” he said. One of the men shuddered. That's like an execution sentence, only it sounds more civilized, William remarked. He had to do something. Suddenly, he had an idea. “I saved his life, that means it is mine to take and mine alone,” The leader nodded his head. “He shall be your guide, then,” he said, motioning for the guards to release Harvey.

Soon, the trio was united in the dogsled room. The sound of barking echoed across the walls of the building. “We'd best be off,” William said, climbing into the sled. “Do you know how to use a dogsled, Harvey?” John asked. “Well, kinda. Last time, I got banished,” Harvey answered. “So that's why your not allowed here?” “Well, something like that. You see, one day...” As Harvey told his story, William wondered what adventures lay ahead of them. “Yah!” he cried, and the dogs took off, the sled trailing behind them.

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Last chapter, we talked about God being in control. This does not mean bad things will not happen to us. Despite what others think, Christianity is not like a shield that people jump behind to be safe. As a matter of fact, when people become Christians, things often turn for the worse! What we need to understand is that a Christians reward is not on Earth, but in Heaven. Besides that, in James 1:2, it says that trials test our faith. Think of Job. He lost everything except a grumbling wife. Yet when he did not become angry with God, he got back more than he had before. Remember, the more you suffer, the better your reward is in Heaven.

Will the trio make it to Willow?

Will they beat the robots there?

Find out in chapter three: Escape from Alaska.

Escape from Alaska

“And so, they banished me for causing the avalanche,” Harvey finished. He had been telling the story for the last thirty minutes. John had joined his companion in the front

seat and was studying an old map of the area. “We could have been to the road a long time ago if you had taken my shortcut, you know,” Harvey chided. “Since you will be taking a long time, maybe you would like to hear another story?” “Uh, no thank you,” John said. “How about a song, or a joke?” “Nope.” “Boy, I didn't know Americans were so boring. You don't do any – MOOSE!” “What's moose?” “I said moose!”

John was confused until the sled swerved to the side. The dogs started to panic. John slid across the seat and fell into the snow. When he looked up, he saw a moose charging towards him. He quickly leaped to the side. The large animal's horns missed him by a couple of inches, and John seized the chance to pull out his sword. Dzeew! With a flash of the blade the beast jolted back from the stinging tip and dropped out cold to the ground.

“I should have warned you guys,” Harvey panted, running to the unconscious beast. “It's mating season for moose and they can get very hostile towards people in their territory.”John sheathed his sword. “What a beautiful beast!” he said. “It's a good thing its only unconscious.” “I hate to break up the party, but shouldn't we get moving before it wakes up?” William advised. “Right,” John and Harvey said in unison.

The trio boarded the sled and William said a short prayer, and they were off. “What is that thing you just did, that closing your eyes stuff?” Harvey asked. William, who was always ready to share his faith, answered. “We were praying.” “To whom?” “God.” “Who's he?” John looked at William with a grin. “Maybe I'll take over,” he said. William nodded and climbed into the back, handing the reins to his friend. “Well Harvey, I think the best way to say it is with a story. You see, a long time ago, there was a...” I think I'm gonna like this, Harvey thought. William went on to tell a story about a woman named Mary, her son Jesus, and an all powerful God. By the time the road was sighted William had nearly won a new convert for Christianity.

Ahead of them lay Willow, the new capital of Alaska. “I hope we beat them here,” John grumbled. They stopped the sled near a clump of trees and hid it. William released the dogs. “What are you doing?” John asked. “I don't think we'll be using this dogsled again,” William said. “Besides, all the barking would draw attention.” The trio edged toward the city cautiously. They silently slipped into the streets. This place is huge! Harvey marveled. “Hmm... No people,” William remarked.

“Uh, guys,” Harvey said “I think the robots beat us here.” “Hands up!” a robotic voice said from behind. The Apostles whirled around to face the new threat. It was a commando-bot, as indicated by the red markings on its armor. In its hand was a machine gun. “And by whose authority are you arresting us?” William asked. “The Border to Border Shipping Company,” the robot said. “Thank you, that's all we need to know.” And with that, William whipped out his sword and stabbed the robot before it could react.

These guys are gonna get me killed! Harvey thought. I was better off with Mettule. As if he could read his mind, William turned to his Inuit friend. “Thank you for all the help you have given us over the past day,” he said. “Aw... you saved my life,” Harvey blushed. “And then you risked yours to aid us,” William reminded. “Well, you see, we Inuits have a rule. If one person saves another guys life, the other guy is that persons slave unless he saves his masters life,” Harvey informed. “I wouldn't consider you my slave, Harvey,” William said. Wow, Harvey thought. Maybe I should stay with these guys. I wouldn't like to miss out on any action and perhaps William knows some more stories.

Harvey's thoughts were interrupted by John's voice. “I hear footsteps!” The trio stopped in their tracks and backed up against a wall. Soon, the source of the noise was identified as several robots escorting captured American soldiers. As soon as the convoy passed the hiding spot, another came with an American captain, an old man, and two women. William pointed at one with a blue dress who was about in her late thirties. “That's the governor. Why don't we pay our respects?” he said. John nodded. The Apostles charged out of their hiding place, drew their swords, and sliced through the two robots at the back. The captain was quick to respond, and leaped on top of the enemy in front of him. The enemy lost its balance, fired its weapon, and the dart hit another robot! The commando-bot at the end of the line whirled around, and was about to send a flurry of acid darts at the prisoners when two hands wearing mittens grabbed its neck and dragged it to the ground. “Nice job, Eskimo,” said the captain, who was busy picking up the defeated robot's weapons.

“I'm Captain Rene, this is Governor Laura Sarel, her aid Kate Rogers, and Willow's mayor, Bruce Curp. Thanks for the rescue.” “I'm William, this is John, and this is Harvey.” “Have you made any plans beyond this point?” “I'm afraid this whole ordeal has taken us by surprise as well.” Captain Rene and William talked the matter over, and decided that the best idea would be to head for the Willow Airport and get a crew together.

The group walked to the airport with the Apostles going ahead and Captain Rene at the back. Once they reached it, William stared around the abandoned terminal. “We can proceed, but very carefully,” he informed. The group walked through several rooms that the robots had gone through minutes earlier. Finally, they got to a door leading out to a runway. Several robots with captured soldiers marched across. “We're gonna need those men,” Rene whispered. “We'll take care of this,” John said.

William walked towards the convoy and motioned for Kate to come with him. The two walked up to the commander. It signaled for them to stop. “You're under arrest,” it said, and several robots surrounded them. Kate walked up and grabbed the tip of commander's weapon. “You're quite rude. Do you ever say please?” she asked sarcastically. “Let go or I'll shoot.” “I don't think you will.” Suddenly the commander and several other robots clanked to the ground. The remainder turned around to see John heading straight toward them. John avoided a few poor shots and whirled his sword around, slicing through two at once. In an instant, William whipped out his own sword and cut through the last few.

Captain Rene grabbed a large portable stairway and pulled it up to a plane with the words U.S. Government painted on the side. The group climbed aboard and two pilots walked to the cockpit. Soon the jet was in the air. “We're not through yet,” John said. “We have to get past the blockade.”

Over all, in the last couple chapters, Harvey has turned out as a pretty helpful guy. Of course, none of this would have happened had not William asked for his help. There are many people who think, I can do this by myself. I don't need help. However, in Galatians 6:1, the Bible says that when some one is in trouble, he should ask for assistance. Think of it like quicksand. If you struggle alone, you only sink faster. If you have someone's help, though, you can escape. When faced with problems, you should not be afraid to ask for help.

Will the plane make it past the blockade?

Will they get to Washington, DC?

Find out in chapter four: Hola, Senor.

Hola, Senor

Boom! The plane rocked with the impact of the explosion. “We've been hit!” the pilot screamed over the gunfire. “Where?” Rene asked, rubbing his rectangular mustache. “The left wing sprinkler system!” “You mean we can't put it out?” “I'm afraid so. It's getting close to a booster!” At this moment Kate walked into the cockpit, her white dress trailing behind her. “Turn off the first and fourth jets!” the captain yelled. “But we won't get past the -” the pilot started, but the other man interjected. “Which is worse, getting captured or getting blown up?” “Do we have any repair robots?” Kate asked. “Genius!” the pilot gasped.

An alarm sounded, and the repair bots moved through a special door onto the afflicted wing. Their magnetic treads carried the awkward, “binocular-eyed” robots across the shiny surface. There were three in all, but a laser blast took that number down to two. As the robots crawled, the fire slowly moved toward the heavily explosive booster. I hope they make it on time, Kate thought. Then she thought of another thing she could do - pray. Meanwhile, the robots worked their way towards the flames. Extinguishers protruded from their square-shaped bellies and started spraying their fire-repellant liquid. A gust of wind blew the fire further, and one of repair bots caught fire, and, with a mechanical scream, bounded over the edge of the wing! But the remaining robot kept spraying and charged onward, until the fire was gone, revealing a big black mark on the silver wing.

Rene could do nothing to hide the big smile that came across his face, but the pilot still looked troubled. “What's wrong now?” the captain, who's smile was now gone, asked. “That fire damaged our auto-pilot satellite. The console's going haywire!” the pilot said, panic rising in his voice. “What! Turn it off! Turn it off!” “I can't! It's not responding!” “What does that mean?” “It means we're going to ...”

“Mexico, Your Honor,” William informed. A look of concern crossed the governor’s face. “Do we have enough fuel? Do you think we're being followed?” Instantly William was bombarded with questions. “Your Honor, we have enough fuel, and I think Wayne doesn't expect us to go to Mexico. As to how we escaped, that is thanks to a repair bot that kept the ship running.” “I would very much like to see this heroic robot. Could you bring him here?” “I can arrange that.” Captain Rene and Kate walked in, and the robot followed them. “His number is RB-777271, but we gave him a nickname,” Kate said. “Quench.” At his new given name, Quench twittered in a series of beeps and whoops, the mechanical language many robots spoke. The governor spoke. “This robot has saved the ship. He should be commended. Kate, wash him up. He deserves our gratitude.”

The rest of the flight to Mexico went normally, and they reached the city of Monterrey. The plane landed in a field far enough from the city not to attract bandits yet close enough to get in quickly. Rene, William, and John inspected the damage. John started to cough. A look of worry crossed Williams face. “Don't worry,” John said. “I shouldn't be surprised to catch a cold after trekking Alaska wearing my Sunday best.” He managed a weak grin. “We're gonna need a new auto-pilot satellite to get this plane running again. I wonder if they have those in Monterrey.” Rene informed. “I will go. If I take Harvey and Kate with me and 'dress down' a bit, we could be pretty inconspicuous.” William decided. “You'll need Quench to identify the parts.” “I'll need some money too. I'll get ready.” William turned to John. “Watch over the ship. Make sure nobody tries to communicate with anyone or we might be tracked,” he commanded.

Soon the group was off. Far from the fancy clothes they once wore, they were dressed in t-shirts and holed-up jeans! William messed up his black beard and Kate took the braids out of her golden hair. They entered the city without drawing attention and inquired about any repair shops that might have satellite parts through Williams broken Spanish and discovered that a man named Sebastian Cruz owned a shop that had that sort of stuff.

Sebastian's shop was well organized, probably thanks to the young slave boy he kept. Kate grimaced. Ever since a revolution that occurred several years ago, anarchy had taken over and many men had captured people to sell as slaves. “Hola,* Senor,” Sebastian said from behind a desk. He had a small, round head with a couple black whiskers. “No … hablo … Espanol,” William managed to say. “Oh, so you're an American. Hear that, Jake?” Sebastian struggled with the letter “J” because of his accent. The slave looked up and smiled. He's an American? Kate wondered. The boy had fluffy black hair and a few freckles on his face. William got straight to bargaining. Apparently, Sebastian had the part but would not receive American dollars for it. He wanted Mexican Pesos. William tried to change his mind but he stood firm. William left the shop with everyone else, feeling dejected.

“You need somewhere to sleep, cause' my mom boards visitors sometimes.” The voice belonged to the slave boy, who had followed them outside. “She loves to see fellow Americans and talk politics. After all, my father was a representative ... before he died.” His gaze drifted towards the ground. Poor boy, Kate thought. “I believe I will take up that offer, young man,” William agreed. The boy took them to a small house where a woman whose face was weathered from years of tribulation opened the door. “Hello Jake. Who are these people?” she asked. “They're Americans, Mom.” At this, Jake's mother's face brightened. “Come in, please. My name's Ronda Clevis. This is my son, Jake,” William introduced the group to the Clevises and then Ronda spoke. “You don't know how good it is to see fellow countrymen. It's been so lonely since we were stranded here after Roy was killed.”

“Your son said your husband was a representative,” William said in the course of the conversation that ensued. “Yes, with the United Nations before it disbanded. He was in Mexico when the rebels took over and was killed in a battle. Soon we were captured and sold to Sebastian.” “How is life here?” “Not to bad. Jake's only fourteen, but he an excellent mechanic and racer.” Kate looked surprised. Once anarchy takes over, I guess it isn't long before you get fourteen year old race car drivers, she reasoned. “What's your problem?” Jake asked. “Our jet broke, and we can't get our parts,” Harvey said plainly. “I can help, unless your that too-good-to-gamble type.” Jake said. “You can bet on my racer in the race tomorrow. Then I can win and you'll get your parts.” “Well, Jack, given our options, that might be our only choice,” William answered. Jake's mother wasn't convinced, until Jake spoke up. “Mom, you said that this world would be a safer place if everybody would help each other in their time of need.” Ronda consented having heard her son's words. Dazzled by how fast things were going Kate asked a question. “Have you ever won a race before?” “No, but this will be the first time I've prayed to,” Jake answered.

Does prayer really have power? For the answer to that question, let's look to the example of one of the most famous Christian men in history. George Muller received just about everything he asked for from God. Every problem that came his way was extinguished by prayer. He was not alone. Countless others, including Hudson Taylor and Gladys Alward, had the faith to trust God and Him alone. Do you have the same faith?

*There will be some Spanish in this book.

Will Jake's prayer be answered?

Will he win the race?

Find out in chapter five: On a Wheel and a Prayer.