Jake ran excitedly along the narrow cliff-top path towards Stiketty Gorge, his heart pounding as he checked the box was still in his pocket. The heat from the afternoon sun was waning as cooler air swept in from the sea. When he reached the top of the path he looked down onto the misty shoreline below. As he looked he tried to calm his breathing as he took out the box from his pocket. He carefully pulled out the folded piece of paper and opened it. He had read the words on the paper so many times over the past few months he knew every word by heart as he scanned to the instructions.

"Dearest Jake. If you have come into possession of this, the likelihood is I am living the rest of my life in my chosen world - Eshneb. I stumbled on this world years ago using various technology at hand. If you ever want to visit me you must tell no one and follow the instructions below:

Just before sunset take the cliff-top path to Sticketty Gorge."

Jake looked up from the paper as the realization of what he was about to do sank in. It had taken fifteen years, but, finally, he had his chance. It's not the climb. It's what's on the other side. He took a deep breath and continued.

"When the path comes to an end, slowly walk down the first few ridged steps towards the Gorge. Be careful here as one false step could lead to your death. Sit down on the fifth step and take out the mirror. Hold it up and slowly turn it south west until the evening sun bounces of it and onto the Gorge entrance below. This can take a while Jake – be patient. You will know when the light rebounds correctly. You will be shown a bleed-through from the mirror and the entrance to another dimension. Walk slowly down each ridge until you reach the shoreline. Take extra care. You will need to steady yourself halfway down on anything you can grab hold of as some of the ridges are treacherous. I am looking forward to see you again..."

The feeling of euphoria was heightened by the evening sea spray and cool wind as he walked towards the Gorge entrance. Jake pulled his mirror out again and shone it just to the left of the Gorge entrance and sure enough, just as before, the purple hue flicker formed a perfect archway into the next dimension. He strode towards it and, taking a deep breath, stepped through into the unknown.

Pompadank

Jake found himself in a rundown partially lit street. He squinted as he took in the surroundings. His mobile phone was on the floor, the screen badly broken. He gathered it up and walked past the various shop fronts, stopping to look in the reflection of a shop window. His clothes were ripped and his hair ruffled after his instantaneous journey through the archway.

A neon sign above a rundown shop ahead read 'MP's Electronix' and another below it that intermittently flashed "We fix anything electrical!" Jake tried the handle on the door and stepped inside.

An electric bleeper startled Jake as the door buzzer sounded. A pair of eyes appeared over the shop counter belonging to a dark stumpy dark man in overalls. The character stood up and looked in disbelief at Jake.

"What the hell happened to you?" Jake brushed himself down and looked around.

"You fix things?" Jake enquired. A robotic contraption with a flashing circuit board for a mouth made an incomprehensible sound at the side of the counter. Jake looked at it then at the Shop Keeper Mompy. Mompy looked Jake up and down.

"You read the sign outside?" Mompy replied. Jake didn't know what to say. "Maybe you wanna step outside again and take another look?" Mompy continued sarcastically. The shop keeper switched a lever on the counter. A neon sign crackled overhead that read "Mompy's Fixup Shop".

"See now, that's me. I'm Mompy, and guess what?" There was a pause.

"You fix things." Jake replied.

"Give this man a scholarship. You're goin' far kid." Mompy rolled his eyes. Jake looked up at the sign and smiled. Mompy didn't smile back; he looked around his shop at all the gadgets in various states of repair before looking back at Jake.

"Well now whaddya know. It sure looks like I fix things don't it." The contraption in the corner made a similar noise as before.

"You fix all these things?" Jake asked, trying to get on Mompy's good side. Mompy gave Jake half a smile.

"Pretty much. They're ain't nothin' I can't fix. For the right price." Brightly colored lights appeared on gadgets that lay on the counter as they flashed simultaneously and Jake's eyes wandered over them.

Jake walked around the shop looking at the vast range of electrical equipment that lay scattered on each shelf. Mompy eventually stopped what he was doing and looked at Jake suspiciously.

"Now looky here, I'm a busy man. You got sumpin' busted, get talkin', otherwise keep on walkin'." Mompy chuckled to himself. "I like that." he said to himself. "Maybe that could be my new slogan over the door."

"Sorry." said Jake as he turned toward the counter. "I’m actually looking for someone." Mompy carried on fixing a device.

"Huh. And you think they’re hiding in here?" he muttered. Jake shook his head and pulled a mobile phone from his jacket pocket and slid it open. The display could hardly be seen due to the damage. He passed it to Mompy.

"Can you fix this?" Jake asked. Mompy took the phone and had a quick look at it.

"I ain't seen one quite like this before. Man, where’d you get this? Don’t tell me, it runs on some 2.8 architecture of some kind?" Jake had a blank look on his face as he shrugged his shoulders. "You need to phone your mommy on this thing? I don’t think I stock any parts for that. But hey, it could be your lucky day. Just so happens I ain't got too much on right now. Let's take a look." Mompy laid Jake’s phone on the counter then studied it. He then looked up at Jake.


"You a Sticketty?" asked Mompy as he moved his face up close to Jake's.

"A What?"

"A Sticketty Goog."

"I'm sorry, I don't have a clue what you’re talking about’ Jake replied. "I’m looking for my uncle."

Mompy continued what he was doing without looking up. "Well let me know when you find him. I can't wait to meet him".

"My uncle's name is Benjamin Stugatti." Jake said. Mompy looked around the room then stopped as a look of discovery hit his face. He put down his tools, and picked up a round fruit from a bowl under the counter.

"Benjamin Stugatti, you say?"

"Yes," said Jake impatiently. "You heard of him?"

Mompy began to peel the fruit, not taking his eyes from Jake.

"Stugatti, now that name rings a bell." Jake took in a slow deep breath and stared at the shopkeeper. "You did say Benjamin Stugatti?" Mompy smiled. Jake nodded excitedly. There was a pause.

"Can’t say I’ve heard of him."

Loose Cannon

Jake snatched the phone from the counter. "I need to go outside and check something."

Mompy looked up suspiciously. "OK, but if you hear the sirens that means a Skingen is coming, watch out; they move like hell and if they hit you, you’ll be bird food."

Jake scowled as he opened the shops door and stepped outside. He then pulled out the small mirror from his jacket pocket and tilted it towards the sky. Part of a hologram shard shone from the top of the mirror and bounced off the adjacent buildings. Mompy saw the blue light from inside and his mouth fell open as he dropped his soldering iron. He pointed at the hologram then stormed outside.

The Shrouded Truth

"You haven't seen one of these before?" Jake jested. Mompy nodded as he raced over to Jake and placed his hand over the top of the mirror, cutting the beam. Mompy moved at lightning speed and his sheer brute force shocked Jake to the bone as he slammed him against the shop front. He tried to snatch the mirror from Jake but Jake held it tight. The expression on Mompy's face scared Jake as he froze.

"Hey, that's mine. You're not having it!" Jake shouted. Mompy held Jake at arms length for a second, his eyes boring into Jake's, then dropped him. Walking back to the front door he motioned Jake inside never taking his eyes from his.

"Follow me."

Mompy pointed to an archway that lead to the store room, and Jake ducked inside. As Mompy walked through the shop he pulled a white metallic weapon from under the counter then joined Jake. As they entered the store room Mompy extended the weapon at Jake and motioned him to take a seat. Mompy switched on a desk light nearby and positioned it at Jake. He then pointed the weapon in Jake's face. Mompy looked at Jake sternly as he sat.

"Coffee?"

"You've got coffee?" Jake replied sarcastically. Mompy nodded to a vending machine in the corner with a flickering neon sign at the top that read 'Vectro Koffee'. The machine made an incomprehensible noise then said "You want a Vectro Koffee?" When Jake pushed the 'Yes' button a small cup dropped into the tray.

Jake took a sip and spluttered. "What the hell is this? Poison?" Mompy's expression turned sour.

"You ungrateful little goon. I save your ass and that's all you can say? You want some of this?" Mompy's white weapon came within an inch of Jake's chest.

"I could beat you into the ground." Jake replied. Mompy laughed out loud.

"Are you for real? You really are the funniest little fool I've ever come across you know that? Bet you don't even know what one of these is."

"I don’t need to know what it is to whip your butt with it." Jake snapped back.

"OK then. Let’s see what you got." Mompy retorted. He walked round to the counter, reached under it and pulled out a slightly longer Charat and chucked it to Jake. Mompy spun his Charat round in his hand with surgeon-like precision as it whistled through the air.

"You really gonna whip my butt, huh? Sure you are little man. I can almost feel the sting." he teased.

Jake raised his weapon to Mompy in an attacking manner. "What you doin', fool?" asked Mompy looking surprised. "Now you put that thing down before someone gets hurt."

"I'm gonna whip your butt, just like I promised." Jake replied angrily.

"Ha. You're some comedian little boy. I think you better sit down before you do yourself an injury." Mompy said with a smile on his face. Mompy swiped his Charat in the air in a comedy ninja style. "You really want some of this crazy shit?"

"Now that's the funniest thing I've seen in a long time." Jake laughed.

"Is that right?" Mompy growled. "I wonder how funny you think it's gonna be when your sittin' on the floor with a bust ass cryin' like a baby huh? Maybe after I've kicked some reality into you you're gonna realize you don't mess with Mompy."

Suddenly, Mompy lunged for Jake, his eyes fixed on his target. Reacting on instinct Jake sidestepped and attemped to slash Mompy across the chest, his feet guiding him around the side, trying to get him in position. Mompy was a quick as Jake, cutting short his thrust and blocking with his blade but not quick enough to prevent the tip of sword cutting clean through his clothing to his skin.

Strike, thrust, cut, block - they whirled around each other with lightning quick blows, each recognising the movements yet unable to overcome their opponent. They held off, facing each other and eyeing each other warily.


"Where the hell d'you learn stuff like that?" Mompy said, clutching his chest.


Regaining his breath with a smile, Jake replied, "Same place you did."

The Long Road to Eshneb

Mompy sat behind his desk, angrily snatched a gadget from the pile and resumed his work. He occasionally looked over to Jake who was sat on a stool, eating what little food he had been able to raid from Mompy's fridge.

"Who are Stickettys?" Jake enquired.

"Who are they? What are they is more like it. Well I can see you ain't one now." Mompy stared intensely at Jake. "They’re a super-human breed of people. They run Eshneb. There's no one else in Eshneb apart from Stickettys. There ain't nothing they don’t know, can’t figure out or fix. They drive Skingens. Bullet speed cars. The only way to Eshneb is in one of them."

"They sound pretty neat." Jake’s face lit up with interest.

"I even helped fix one once." Mompy continued. "They never stop here in Pompadank, but a while ago one pulled up right outside this shop. They had a faulty jet plug. He was one anxious dude. He had to be back at an important meeting right away and said he’d do anything to get his ride fixed. I had a tool that he needed so we made a deal. I helped him fix up the Skingen. Man, they look something else close up. The vehicles I mean. A real piece of engineering beauty. Never seen once since."

"What did he give you?" Jake enquired.

"Give me?" Mompy looked sheepish.

"Yeah." Jake probed, "You said you made a deal." Mompy stood up and tried to change the subject.

"Nothin' you need to worry your little head about son." Jake walked over to where the noisy contraption was and looked above it. He noticed a shiny brushed Charat high on a shelf in a silver rimmed Perspex case. He mouthed the word 'wow' as he studied it. Mompy watched him out of the corner of his eye carefully. He noticed two initials embossed on the middle section and read them out: "B DOE".

"What do they stand for?" Jake enquired, looking round at Mompy who was fixing a circuit board on his desk using a laser soldering iron.


"The guy that designed it." Mompy replied without looking up "He’s one unique dude. Head designer for defense at Eshneb. Folks know him as Benjamin." Jake’s eyes focused on the weapon as he digested what Mompy just said.

"That’s my uncle’s name." Jake said under his breath.

"What’s that?"

"That’s my uncle." Mompy slowly looked up then back down to his soldering.

"Sure thing son. That’s my uncle too." he said as he chuckled to himself.

"No, seriously." Jake interjected. "I haven’t seen him in about fifteen years, not since he disappeared from his home town." Mompy stopped laughing then looked up.

"Hold on a minute. You said your uncle was Benjamin..." Mompy searched for the word.

"Stugatti." Jake butted in.

"Right. That’s him. Well this is Benjamin Doe. Sorry to burst your bubble son, but they're two different dudes." Mompy shook his head as he continued to find it highly amusing.

"The one I’m talkin’ about is one switched on Sticketty. No disrespect pal but this man taught every echelon in Eshneb advanced combat using one of those very Charats you’re looking at right now." Jake thought to himself for a while, looked at the Charat then back at Mompy.

"So he gave you that weapon?" Mompy’s head twisted up at Jake.

"What do you mean?" he snapped.

"You said he made you a deal. For helping fix his vehicle. He gave you that in return." Jake said pointing at the case.

"You don’t know nothin’ about that. And I ain't gonna hear another word about it right now, you hear? I gotta fix this right now and I can do without your foolish lip flappin."

Best Kept Secret

The robot from the other room burst to life and made a high pitched whistling sound. Jake was about to say something when Mompy held his hand up to silence him. Red lights began to flash outside accompanied by loud sirens.

"You better get outta sight." Mompy warned. Jake looked confused.

"I ain't got the time to tell you now. You better get out of sight right away." Mompy pulled open a long drawer he used for spare parts - just big enough for someone to hide inside. He pulled out a huge bag of tools and dumped it on the floor. He motioned for Jake to get inside. Jake stood looking confused.

"Are you serious? What’s going on?"

"I ain't got time for story right tellin' now - just get outta sight!"

Jake didn’t argue and jumped in the drawer. Mompy closed it and locked it with a key on his key ring.

The noise from the sirens outside subsided. Two tall skinny creatures burst into the shop brandishing short Charats. The taller of the two creatures rushed over to the counter and waited. They soon became inpatient and stormed through to the back of the shop. Mompy nearly leapt out of his skin when he saw them.

"How can I help you?’ Mompy said calmly.

The taller creatures black eyes quickly focused on Mompy as if scanning for clues. The other creatures eyes darted around the store room scanning everything in sight. Jake laid as still as he could, and tried to keep his breathing to a bare minimum. There was a half inch gap at the top of the drawer which he could just about see through. As he looked he saw in detail one of the creatures pale brown muscular legs. He even saw the hairs as they bristled in the bright store room light. He knew immediately the creature it belonged to would be huge, powerful and very capable of doing exactly what he wanted to the person it was looking for. Jake swallowed hard and closed his eyes. For what seemed like a week, Jake waited as they looked over the room, and then left as abrupty as they came, leaving Mompy with a piece of paper and a bemused expression.

Mompy eventually unlocked the huge drawer and flung it open.

"I don't know in what god's name you're doing here but I got a message from your uncle." Mompy said as Jake peeked out. "And yes it’s safe to come out."

Further chapters of 'the Sticketty Googs of Eshneb' to follow...