Team QueSt: The Next Generation

Upheavals Part 1

	"Ahh, careful, Rajan." prompted Miana, as she tenderly put the
majestic blue falcon on his small arm.  "Haresh has very sharp talons."
	Haresh was a bird of the mountains and sky, and spent much time
away from the palace.  However, once every few weeks, he'd fly back in and
stay a few days before soaring off again.
	Just them, Lou came running in, which alarmed Haresh, but Hadji
was close behind, and gave Haresh a call which was a signal for him to
come and settle on Hadji's arm.  Miana breathed a sigh of relief as she
was concerned about Rajan getting hurt accident ally.
	Hadji and the bird walked over to Miana, and Haresh hopped back
onto his perch.  Hadji had an unsettled look in his eye as he took his
wife into his arms.
	"How did the meetings go, love?" asked Miana.
	"Not good.  I have been involved in countrywide meetings of all the
states and provinces of this nature for many years now, and I have never
seen things this unsettled."
	"What's the problem, sweetie?"
	"Our two biggest concerns, believe it or not, is religion based."
	"What?" asked Miana in shock.
	"The Sikhs in the Punjab region are pushing for independence again,
this time stronger than ever.  And on top of this, the Indian Muslims are
starting problems..."
	"Oh, no..."
	"Right.  Many of the influential Indian Muslim families have ties
in Pakistan..." started Hadji.
	"...And it wasn't that long ago when both India and Pakistan had those
nuclear tests... for the second, third, and fourth times... The US
sanctions all those years aho did absolutely no good..."
	"Miana, things are looking very bad. The country could be torn
apart by civil war."
	Hadji had a tear in his eye as he pulled Miana close.  Just then,
Ramesh, one of the palace servants, came in.
	"Your highness, the Quest family is here."
	"Show them in."
	Just then, Benny came running in, and he and Rajan ran off
together.  Jonny and Jessie followed close behind, along with Rachel, who
was just learning to walk.  Jonny and Hadji met in a bear hug, as did the
women.
	"Hadj, these last few months without you and your fam has been
murder!  Jessie complaining bout missing Miana... the children always
wanting to know when your kids will be back..."
	"...And Jonny wondering around like a lost puppy!" added Jessie,
coming up and giving Hadji a big hug and kiss on the cheek.
	"It is so good to see you all." replied Hadji.
	"How are things?" asked Jessie.  "We've been watching the news..."
	Hadji sat them all down and filled them in on the situation.
	"God, that would be enough to stress anyone out!" quipped Jonny. 
"But seriously man, you need to get away from all this."
	"Can we?" asked Miana.  "The meetings are over, and if anything
happens, we can always come back..."
	"Baba! Please... miss grandpa!" begged Lou, now three.
	"Dad, please..." chimed in Rajan.
	Hadji's look softened.
	"Ramesh, prepare our baggage, we're going home."
	Ramesh nodded and left as the whole family celebrated the Singhs'
return to Maine once again. 

			*****

	Upon arriving, the family was greeted by Race, Bobby, and Moniri. 
They allexchanged hugs, and joined Benton in the living room, who was also
glad to see them, but had much trouble getting out of his chair as of
late.
	"Hadji, Miana!  I completely for forgot to tell you!" started
Jessie.  "You remember Abby, right?"
	"Yeah, Abby Rage!  She's your executive assistant, isn't she? 
Zeke's ex who survived after he and Surd hacked Dr. Quest's Rachel
program..." answered Miana.
	"Well, she's getting married, and she invited all of us to the
wedding!" exclaimed Jessie.
	"Who's she marrying?" asked Miana.
	"Ty Johnson Reynolds."
	"Ty Johnson Reynolds?!?  Get out!  The multi-billionaire of Johnson
Reynolds Electronics who has absolutely taken over the computer industry
these days?!?"
	"The same." answered Jessie.
	"How did she meet him?" asked Hadji.
	"A few months back, shortly after you and Miana left for Bangalore,
Ty requested a meeting with me.  He was interested in joining the
consortium and wanted to get in on the ground floor for our Mars
operation.  Anyway, when he came for the meeting, of co urse the first
person he saw was Abby, and it was love at first sight!" answered Jessie.
	"How romantic!" beamed Miana.
	Jonny rolled his eyes and was turning a peculiar shade of pea
green.
	"Is this public knowledge?" asked Hadji.
	"Of course it is!  Ty Reynolds is as much of a public figure now as
Bill Gates was ten years ago!" answered Jessie.
	"This is not good." replied Hadji.
	"Why not?" asked Miana, eyebrows knitting.
	"We will most likely hear from Ezekiel Rage." answered Hadji.
	"Is he even still alive?" asked Miana.  "We haven't heard from him
since all that trouble went down ten years ago when he and Surd took over
Questworld and threatened the planet with antimatter technology..."
	"We made not have heard from him in a long time, but we should not
take anything for granted." replied Hadji wisely.
	"I hope to God you're wrong." said Race.  "That guy is bad news!"
	"But he's so OLD now." commented Jonny.
	"Age makes no difference, my friend." added Hadji.  "Rage was, and
most likely is, as obsessive about his family now as he was all those many
years ago." 

			*****

	"And in the news today... Ty Johnson Reynolds, President and CEO of
Johnson Reynolds Electronics, marries Abigail Spencer Rage, an associate
of Quest Enterprises..."
	Rage switched off his holomonitors and threw the remote, and it
hit the stone wall of the main chamber-- one of many in his underground
complex.  Rage had made quite a living for himself in the past ten years
through espionage and organized crime.
	"After all these years, the Quests still have a way of tearing my
life apart... They must pay once and for all... everyone must pay... but
how..."
	Rage went to his computer system-- a vast outfit that took the
whole wall of the chamber and made the whole room resemble the Bat Cave,
and started to go through his archives.
	"Need to find an ally... someone from the past who had some
connection with thw Quests in one way or another... someone who also may
have a score to settle..."
	Just then, a familiar face popped up on his screen.  Rage smiled
an evil smile as he remembered the help she gave Surd and himself ten
years prior.
	"'And from the dust of the past will come the undoing of the
infidels of the present,' so sayeth the Book of Rage." laughed Rage. 
"Time to call on an old friend.  Mica Monesson."