NOT A HERO

James King is definitely not a hero. For one thing, he starts out as a five feet five inch tall, unemployed man.

He then gets a job doing spreadsheet work and some light programming for a sort of anonymous company. As the only one available, he's offered a year's pay and an increase in height if he will do a 'simple job' for the company. He rather reluctantly accepts what has to be a sucker play, however he needs the money and being taller will ease his life a great deal.

He then walks through a very dark tunnel, to emerge on a ridge, overlooking a desert scene illuminated by the light of two small moons. Okay, he was a fool and he's been somehow sent on a mission to another planet. However, he does retrieve the object, using a great deal of cunning. The retrieval of the object nearly costs him his life. When he returns with the object, he gains an immediate years pay, plus he begins to grow in height.

The initial assignment leads to more assignments. Each assignment is to retrieve an 'object' for his mysterious boss. The pay is good and he continues to grow in height. He has been abused, for much of his life, due to his small size. Thus, he's actually gaining some safety via increased physical size, in return for risking his life. It's something of a balancing act.

As the missions continue, James discovers that the objects that he's sent to fetch are actually linkages to very powerful beings. He begins to interact with the beings and discovers that he's involved with things that are well beyond his understanding.

However, the interactions with the powerful being shows James King that his detail knowledge of dealing with the downtrodden allows him and certain of the powerful beings to complete missions that neither could accomplish alone.

As the number of missions mount, James King realizes that things are building to a climax, a climax that he has no understanding of.

With no real option James King begins to become 'friends of the journey' with a few of the powerful beings that he fetched as 'objects.' He's far below the level of the powerful beings, but he's a good and useful companion.

Finally, James is sent to an alien planet and abandoned, by his boss. His only hope is the friends of his earlier journeys.

He then aids his friends to journey to an event for the ages and a mind boggling conclusion.

The action is fast and furious, but involves mainly mind over mere muscle.

I WAS JUST five feet, five inches tall and maybe a hundred forty pounds in weight. When you’re that size, it isn’t easy to get or even keep a job. People don’t seem too comfortable around those who don’t look the same as they do. I had just been laid off from a job where I was doing well and I really need a paycheck to pay rent, buy food and that sort of thing.

I hit a few employment places and then stop by an office where they have a ’Help Wanted’ sign posted on the door.

I go in and find that the place needs a guy who can do some spreadsheets and maybe a bit of light programming work. Despite my small size, I convince them that I can do that and I hop back onto the paycheck train.

The place that hires me is a normal business office type place, but some of the people that I see come and go through the office are fairly weird.

There are a few people of the type where they do palm readings, psychic readings, that sort of thing. Then there are a few large strong looking young men who check in a few times and then are never seen again.

Since I’m not very big and there are people in the city who prey on what they think are the weak, I take advantage of a gym in the back of the place. After work, I put on my workout clothes and use the machines and weights in the gym. I sometimes see one or two of the large strong looking young men working out. Of course, the large strong looking young men totally ignore someone my size.

Fairly soon, I’m very quietly looking for another job, mainly because of the large strong looking young men who check in a few times and then are never seen again. I have this enormous fear of being charged as an accessory to murder.

One day, the woman who’s the office manager tells me, “The boss needs someone to do a job. The job has to be done right now. It’s an emergency and I can offer you a year’s pay for a few hours of work.”

It sounds like a sucker play to me. I laugh and ask the OM, “What kind of legal work earns a year’s pay for a few hours work?”

“You have to go into a place and retrieve a very important object. There could be some danger, but it should be minimal at this time.”