The Watcher

by Bill Stenlake

  He has been lost in thought for a few minutes. He glances at the controls and spends some minutes looking in all directions around his craft. There is no sign of anyone coming after him. They could give him an exceptionally long start and still catch up with him in a jiffy. Boristal 7 is now quite small behind him. He might as well go to the travel pod is his thinking. It is going to take an endless amount of time, almost, to reach Parlantte. That is going to be an interesting place to visit. He wonders if they realize that he gave them so much of the information they acquired, to advance as quickly as they have done. He wonders if they know about the bug he placed in the systems, which will allow him to arrive there without their knowledge. He wonders if they know about the place he had a few of them build. He wonders if they know about the equipment he had made to go in there, which will transform his looks, so that he will never be recognized. He is glad that he made this back-up plan at the beginning, before he became as powerful as he was. He made these plans, at a time when he felt fearful that he would never get away with a thing that he did, against the system. Now it will give him a chance, to at least live out the rest of his life, without fear of being found out. He will also be able to live it in relative luxury. There are worse places he could end his days than on Parlantte.

  Vee and Bar arrive back at the mound. There is a guard on the place, but it is nothing like it was in the beginning, when they had first landed. It takes them a little time, to find a route they can get to the mound without being detected. They get there without too much trouble. They have to leave their tiny craft outside. The entrance they use is only large enough for them to get thru. Hopefully they won’t have the same issues as last time, when they come back to find it again. Once inside the craft, they set about what they need to do. They do not really have the equipment they need. In fact they don’t know what equipment could do the job they need to do. But they have been told to do various things and they achieve that. They have also been directed to a room they did not know existed, on the craft in the mound. In there they are asked to plug in. The upgrade takes several hours to complete. They know it is occurring and they are extremely satisfied to find out when it is complete, that they are still in the same form as when they were made. They know they are small, as that was all that was available at the time. Now it would appear there is more available, not that they know how or why. They are given a small part to take back to their craft. It will, so they are told, perform an important upgrade on the craft. It will take a few hours, but they should be safe enough, if they don’t let themselves be seen.

  They wait patiently while the upgrade is done. They know it is complete, when a message appears on their screen. They have to go now and find The Grand Master. They have the coordinates. It is just a matter of bridging the distance. Oh yes, and then when they get there, to try not to be seen or detected. Oh yeh and then to somehow find a way to enter the craft, again without detection.

  The Grand Master takes one last look at the controls. Everything is quiet around him. He is in the middle of space, with Boristal 7 only just visible now. He walks thru and goes into the travel pod. He will only be woken when he reaches his destination, or if the systems pick up something on the way that he needs to deal with.

  Vee and Bar can’t believe how quickly they have reached where they were told to go. As far as they are aware, they have not been detected. They have no way of actually knowing if that is the case, but they aren’t picking up any signs of it on their equipment. Vee starts to press some buttons. She is trying to locate a way they can get on board. In theory it shouldn’t be possible, but she knows that, as she has been told to do it, there must be some way she can. All she has to do is to find out exactly how. Her work doesn’t take long. A point on The Grand Master’s craft is highlighted. Bar sets the craft towards the point and as they get there, a flap opens, which allows him to fly straight in. They find that they are in a very small room. It is only just bigger than their craft. There is nothing in the room at all. Well that isn’t quite true. There is a socket on the wall in front of them. A message comes onto the screen. Bar does as it says and edges the craft forward, until it locks onto the socket.

  Two things happen as they do so. They immediately are connected to The Grand Master’s craft systems. Their own systems override his and they in effect take control of both crafts. The second thing that happens is that they feel a change in speed. It is a massive change. Vee checks that there hasn’t been an alert gone to the travel pod The Grand Master is in. He has not been alerted. He is blissfully unaware that they are on board, or that things have changed and more things are going to change very soon too.

  Another message comes up on the screen. Vee reads it to Bar. This is an interesting one. It is easy for them to do. The Grand Master is really going to get a surprise, when he comes out of the travel pod. Firstly he is going to be coming out a lot sooner than he realizes. It is doubtful if he will know that straight away though. He is sure to notice when he gets to the controls, that he is approaching a different planet. He might try to do something about it, but he won’t be able to. He won’t know that they are on board with him too. But he will find out that Vee and Bar are the ones who are in charge of this craft and not him, when they land on Velchitta.

  The Watcher & The Keeper

  I get into Spirit’s little craft. It is an odd feeling, knowing he has been the only one to fly this thing. But now Spirit is dead and I am here to fly this craft. It is all new to me, but I don’t have to do anything special to get me on the way. I know I should be rushing, but surely a few minutes won’t make any difference in my journey across space to Velchitta. I find that the seat is molded to my shape, but of course it would be, as Spirit was my double, so to speak.

  There is not a lot for me to look at in this craft. I settle in my seat and the door closes automatically. A message appears in front of me on the screen.

  ‘You will need to upgrade this craft to bring it into line with The Watcher’s craft and Vee and Bar’s craft.’

  I don’t know who Vee and Bar are, but of course I do know who The Watcher is. I have no idea what is going to be involved in upgrading this craft, but I am sure I will be told; I am.

  ‘You will need to get out of the craft and touch the two Guiding Masters on top of their heads, at the same time. Once you have done that, come back here and get in. Then place your hands on the drawing that will appear on the screen. The engines will then be upgraded. You need to do this, so that you can get to Velchitta in as short a time as possible. They will be waiting for you there.’

  I feel I want to ask, who will be waiting for me. I know he means The Watcher will be and I assume this Vee and Bar will be too, but I am guessing there will be others waiting for me too. I am sure it can wait, so I get out and approach the two Guiding Masters. It appears that they are expecting me to come back over and to do what I do with my hands. I place one hand on GM6’s head and one on GM7’s head. I feel a surge of power flow thru to me. It is unexpected, but not an unpleasant feeling.

  When the feeling disappears, I guess it is time to stop. I do so and with another short goodbye, I am on my way back to Spirit’s craft, my craft. It will always be Spirit’s craft, I believe. I get back in and as I sit down, the figure of two hands appears on the screen in front of me. I don’t need telling, to know I have to place my hands on these hands on the screen. Once again I feel the surge of energy, but this time it is definitely going from me into the screen. Again the feeling goes after a short time. I remove my hands and wait for the next instruction. It comes after only a few minutes.

  ‘Engines have been upgraded. You are free to go now. You will not need to shut anything down for the flight. It will not take long to get there, even though it is a long way across the universe, to reach Velchitta.

  I take one last look at Boristal 7, before I strap in and get ready to leave. Lift off is a breeze. I am really a passenger, as the craft knows what to do. One second I am there and the next I am in th
e middle of space, with nothing to be seen in any direction. I am guessing that I am going really fast, but there is no feeling of movement at all. There is nothing to gauge it against outside either. I am just there in space, in transition from one place to the next. Maybe that is exactly what it is. I am in an in between place. To actually see what is happening as I travel along, would be too much for my eyes and brain to take in, so they substitute this in between place, so that I can cope. It really doesn’t matter because it lasts for literally only a few minutes. Then I am there, well I am somewhere. I can’t say that I know what Velchitta looks like from above, but I am guessing that is where I am.

  The screen lights up in front of me.

  ‘Welcome home to The Keeper.’

  I can’t help but let a smile come to my face. I feel the craft slowing down and then I see I am getting closer to the surface. As I get really close down, I can see buildings and then when I am just about to land, I see people waiting for me too. I am not going to land in the launch pad area. I am going to land in a large square, which is crowded with people. I come in to land and the first familiar face I see is The Watcher. There is someone standing beside him. The face is familiar, but it is not here on Velchitta I have seen him before. It was on Earth I saw him last. I remember; his name is George. He has a girl standing beside him, Cassie.

  As I open the craft to get out, I can hear the roar from the crowd. It is a friendly roar and because the others are relaxed, I am too. The Watcher walks up to me and helps me get clear of the craft. Some soldiers walk up and stand by it, to protect it. I don’t think they really understand that is unnecessary. This is my craft, formerly Spirit’s craft. No one can take it and no one can use it, except for me. I don’t know how I know this, but I do.

  ‘They just needed to see you’ The Watcher says to me. I look over at George and he says ‘I need to explain something, but we will do it in a minute, when we are in private. There is something else we have to do. It is important, but only you can do it.’

  He guides me away. George and Cassie follow. Once we are out of sight of the crowd, he introduces me to George. I mean by that, he tells me what my relationship is to George. He says it is very special and that it has never happened before. It is a good thing it did, as George has been instrumental in restoring the situation. So George is as good as a brother to me. I am ok with that. But if that is the case, then surely it is going to be George and I who have to do whatever it is he has waiting for us. I put it to him. I can see him working it out. He doesn’t know the answer. I am not going to worry about it, until I need to know what I am expected to do. He leads us over to the launch area. There are some other people there. Bluechen and Marlitta look familiar, but then not totally. The Watcher says that he can understand that thought. We can work on that one, but we have something to do first.

  There are some others there. Apparently these people are the ones who came to Earth and helped The Watcher. I thank The Wise Soul, Draton and Elkante. They dismiss it all, as if it was part of their daily routine. Something inside me tells me they are already being programmed to think just that. That something happened and they did things because they were there. They won’t be able to actually put their finger on it what it was precisely that happened and what they did; just that they did something.

  When we are finished with the introductions, we all move thru to the launch area. We are just in time to see a craft touch down and switch off power. I recognize this craft. It is the one The Grand Master was using. I see a small flap open and out pops a small craft. It stops a few feet away from us and two small creatures get out. Bar is a dog and Vee is a girl. I am introduced to them by The Watcher, as is George.

  We then all turn and look at the craft. The main door has opened. Standing there is The Grand Master. He has a weapon in his hand and he is aiming it at me. I am not keen on this. This is the man who abducted me on a previous time he came out of this craft.

  ‘The weapon does not work’ The Watcher says to him.

  We see him try to use it. The Watcher is right. He goes to turn round and run back in, but the door closes before he can do so. He tries to throw the weapon at us, but it just falls to the ground by his feet. He starts to run towards us, but The Watcher walks towards him and puts out his hand. The Grand Master just stops midstride. He cannot move and it appears that he cannot speak either. His lips are moving, but there is no sound coming out of it.

  ‘You have to decide what is to be done with him’ The Watcher tells me.

  I look at George and he looks back at me. I nod for him to step aside with me, so that we can talk in private.

  ‘I think we should agree on what has to be done’ I open with.

  ‘I think I understand why you are saying that. Let’s see if we agree on it.’

  ‘My thinking is that the Balance was challenged by him. Because of that, the flaws were exposed.’

  ‘I agree. And then because of that, things have been adapted to prevent a reoccurrence.’

  ‘I agree. I think he should be changed. I don’t know if that is possible.’

  I hear a voice in my head. It says that we can do anything that we want to. Literally anything is possible. I look across at George. It is clear to me he has heard the exact same thing.

  ‘He should be changed into someone else. He should have his history changed, so that he can’t remember any of this. He should be made to do a solitary job. Ideally it would be to do something that is important, but without too much influence on anything else.’

  ‘How about being a shepherd?’

  ‘Ideal I say. Agreed!’

  ‘Agreed!’

  We return to the others. We can see that they already know what we have decided. The Wise Soul, Draton and Elkante lead The Grand Master away.

  ‘Before you sleep tonight, he will be the shepherd you want him to be’ The Watcher says. Now we have to decide what you want to do.

  ‘I don’t want to stay here.’ Two voices have said this.

  ‘I know where you want to go.’

  I look across at Bluechen and Marlitta.

  ‘It is alright. You will see. Everything will be as you want it.’

  For as long as I can remember he has been there watching me. I honestly can’t remember a time when I have looked around for him and he hasn’t been there watching.

  Watching, watching, and always watching me. I could almost begin to believe that he was there watching me while I was being born. I probably won’t ever know if he was or not. I have asked and nobody can remember him being there, but nor can they remember a time when he wasn’t around either. For what it is worth, I suspect that he wasn’t there, but came on the scene soon after.

  My Dad told me once, that his grandfather, my great grandfather, had been watched all his life too. He told me that nothing had ever happened to him, because of The Watcher watching, so he mostly ignored the fact of his presence throughout his life.

  ‘We tried to approach him one time’ my Dad told me when I was about ten years old ‘but Grandpappy asked us not to. He said he wasn’t someone we should worry about and was he doing any harm watching him? No! If we were meant to talk to him, he would come closer. Leave him be.’

  My Dad told me though, that one other time after that, he and a friend had tried to approach The Watcher, without success. He just moved position quite effortlessly and never let them get close. My Dad said they didn’t try again after that.

  I have continued throughout my life with a similar attitude to the one my great grandfather had adopted. The Watcher isn’t doing me any harm, as far as I can tell. He never comes close and that is fine by me.

  The Watcher is tall, over 6 feet tall I would say, and thin; and he always wears a long black coat down to his ankles. The coat, he always leaves unbuttoned. Even in the wind and rain he leaves it unbuttoned and allows it to flap open, showing that whatever he wears under the coat is black too. He wears a wide brimmed black hat, which sits slightly forward on his head always
, shielding his face from unwanted inspection.

  The only thing that really ever changes is where he positions himself to watch me. If there is sunshine, you can almost bank on him being somewhere between me and the sun, so he has the sun to his back somewhere. For the rest of the time, he could be anywhere. Like all things familiar, it became a habit many years ago, to not really look for him. That is because when the thought does come into my head, wondering if and where he is; it only takes a few seconds for me to locate him. To me he stands out some, to others he is just somebody standing, in a long black coat. Sometimes he stands as little as about 50 paces away from me and at other times he is maybe 5 times as far as that away.

  He knows that I know he is there and I know that he knows I know he is there. There is never any acknowledgement of the fact; there is never any sign of greeting or anything else for that matter between us. We have never spoken and never waved, nor made any sign of acknowledgement to each other. He is just there watching me and I get on with my life. I guess I know that any move has to be, or will be, instigated by The Watcher, so I live my life and he spends his watching me. Always! Well actually he is watching George and me!

  The end

  The Watcher

  Author Bill Stenlake 2017

  The Watcher Copyright © 2017 William (Bill) Stenlake

  The Watcher is the third book of The Keeper Trilogy

  All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, distributed or transmitted in any form, by any means without the prior consent of the author.

  All characters in this publication are fictitious and any resemblance to persons, living or dead is purely coincidental. Some places named in the book exist and are real and some do not exist and are not real. The placement of all things geographical is relevant to this story only and as such should be deemed fictional.