The angry man glared around. His black clothing looked like a school uniform from an anime. The silver trim gealed in the fading blue light. His silver hair reached down to his shoulders in a glossy curtain, almost obscuring the pointed tops of his ears. Angry purple eyes, slit pupiled like those of a cat, cast about the room with stern judgement. “You!”, he shouted as he pointed at Robert. “How did you end up with this crowd of idiots? I can tell that you don’t belong with them.”

“Hold on there. We summoned you. That means we are in charge here.” Dr. Lyons stated. It would have been more intimidating if he was not visibly shaking as he said it.

“When a person summons a being from another universe, they have to win a battle of wills if they wish to control the traveler.” Looking around at the fallen figures at his feet, he sneered. “I do not have battles of wills or wits with unarmed people. I won the contest with no effort at all. That means I can command them any way I wish. Do you have any more stupid assumptions to share?”

“Fine. I see that they failed. What do you want from us?”

“That’s better. You know, what your people did was like walking into a section of town known for muggings with money hanging out of your pockets and  telling everyone you meet that you have no weapons. You asked for a being to come dominate you when you reached out like you did. It’s your lucky day though. I killed the thing that first answered your call. I will help you, but on my own terms. My first demand is that you provide me with a time capsule that you will deliver to the person I direct you to in twenty-five years. The second demand is that you bind me as the familiar of Mr. Robert Housen.”

“We can’t do that. He hasn’t agreed to work with us yet.” Dr. Lyons was now red in the face and perspiring heavily. “We were going to offer him a return to his youthful body.” He looked at Robert directly. “Would that be enough of a promise for you to help us out?”

The angry man replied without hesitation. “Idiot. You didn’t notice that he is immune to your abilities. Like that fraud you are against, you can’t do anything for or against him.”

Robert turned to both of them with eyebrows raised. “What do you mean ‘for or against him’?”

“Simple. By the way, I’m Alontheus. They can’t do anything for or against you because you are on a different frequency. Think of it like a radio signal. Their power works by sending instructions to particles in your body and surroundings. It’s like you are on FM and they are on AM. They can send instructions to others who are on an AM frequency, but they can’t send anything to FM. You can send and receive signals on an FM frequency. I happen to be able to send and receive both FM and AM signals. I will offer what they have offered and more if you take this task. I will warn you, you will probably have to be selectively dishonest.”

Robert looked him directly in the eyes as he stuck out his right hand. “Something tells me you are determined to do this. It sounds like fun.”

“You will not be bored!”