by Luis Robles
“Give me the pleasure for once to hear you call me ‘Father’,” Endorem said with a pleading look.
Rendeleor looked down and did not say a single word.
“Always so proud, just like your father. Call me Father... that’s an order,” Endorem said with a piercing gaze as he stared directly at his son.
“Father... What can I do for you?”
“That’s more like it. I never thought I would hear those words coming from you, especially with your views on the subject at hand,” Endorem said as he coughed. “I need you to promise me that you will signal the others once our communication beam is fixed. I’ve waited a lifetime for engineers to find a way to fix it, and it looks like they might be close. You need to signal our mothership once it is fixed. We’ve already taken this planet; the hard part is over. It is time for our species to enjoy it.”
“Enjoy what, Father? Enjoy the misery you’ve cost every living thing on this planet? Enjoy what you did to their habitats, to what they called forest, to what they called cities... to what they called homes? There’s nothing but misery left in this planet, and we are the ones that caused it. We don’t deserve to be here... we haven’t earned it, we have destroyed it and called it ours,” Rendeleor said, glaring at his father.
“That’s who we are... that’s what we were sworn to be. This is how we would help our kin; our species will survive the eons to come. We will be the dominant species in the universe,” Endorem managed. “And we haven’t destroyed the planet, they did. Humans did this to themselves. If it weren’t for primitive weapons, none of this would’ve happened. They brought this upon themselves. They are the ones that don’t deserve this beautiful planet of ours.”
“I swear to you, Father, I swear to you for everything that is good, for the goodness that is in me... I swear to you that I will do everything in my power to leave and remove us from this planet,” Rendeleor said with gritted teeth.
“Do not defy me! You are alive up to this day solely because of me. Many true Hackaram like to see you dead, at the very least, for your treasonous comments. Do not defy me, even as I leave this body. The power of this army will be mine!” Endorem shouted angrily.
His dyspnea aggravated because of the anger and stress. The screen next to him exploded to life with at least a dozen warnings. Medics came running inside as the situation scaled.
“Take him out of here. I’m sure he would love to spend a week down in the container,” Endorem said, enraged.
Right away, one of the medics called guards in the room.
“I wish you well, Father, I really do. I hope that wherever you’re going, you find forgiveness for yourself as you learn about all the horrible things you have done to this planet. I truly hope that something will forgive you for it. Because I won’t. You have done too much harm,” Rendeleor said as he was escorted away.
His father looked at him but with despise, and in his eyes, for that moment, there wasn’t anything else he hated more than his own son.
“Call Neveran in here... Tell him to get here fast. I’m afraid I don’t have much time left. And wait outside... I’ll continue to be fine at least for a few more minutes...” Endorem said, breathing heavily.
Neveran was only down the hallway when the message pane appeared in front of him. He managed to get to the old leader’s room within the same minute.
“How can I be of service, my lord?” Neveran asked as he kneeled beside the bed.
“When I leave this world, this ship, this paradise we have built together... you will be the one in charge of the operation. It will be up to you to get the others to get here, and I’m sure you will do a spectacular job at it. But there is one thing I want you to promise me... There’s one thing I still want to hear...” Endorem spoke with a broken voice.
“Of course, my lord, anything for the good of the Hackaram. I will do the best I can to fulfill your wishes. You have my unconditional word, my lord,” Neveran assured the old leader, being a loyal second in command.
“I want my son...”
Neveran almost cringed upon hearing those words.
“I want my son to be the one to activate our communication beam with the others. I want him to be the one to send signal of our victory over this planet. And I want him to be alive when he does it. After that, if he still has those stupid ideas in his head, do as you wish with him. I’ve left other clear instructions for you to follow even after my death, and you should honor and enforce them until the day you die. They will be delivered to you upon my death. Can you promise me that you would do is I want you to do?”
“Yes, my lord, anything for the greatness of the Hackaram. This planet, and all in it, will be completely ours. I promise,” Neveran answered, bowing his head.
“You have always been a good soldier... you have always been a good leader. Many look up to you, and as you take my place, many will worship you. I know that you will bring pride to us once again, that you will bring greatness. The Hackaram will live on,” Endorem said with a smile as he closed his eyes.
Arrhythmia showed on the screen next to him as his breathing worsened, and the medics entered the room once again. His body was convulsing, and suddenly it all went quiet. A flatline appeared on the screen. This time, it was too late as there was nothing they could do. The old, prideful leader had passed away.
Neveran wasted no time in letting the entire city know that the old leader was no more.
“We have suffered a terrible loss today,” the announcement echoed everywhere in the settlement city. “Our great leader, Endorem Palac, has ascended into the realm of the Gods of Hackaram. There, he will live and continue his journey to greatness, among other great old leaders of ours. May he continue in all his glory. And may he look upon us with pride.” A few seconds passed before he continued, “As you all know, I Neveran Dalnec, will now be your leader. I will continue the work Endorem left behind, but unlike him, I will finish it.”
Murmurs, and comments erupted throughout the settlement city. Some were happy, some were already making plans, and there was a few that opposed the ideology of the leaders. But majority dared not to speak out against the ruling bodies, as any sign of sympathy towards the original inhabitants of the planet would lead them to pay with their lives. There was no democracy; the individual voice did not exist in the Hackaram. The governing bodies had total and absolute power.
“If anybody would like to contest my ruling, I will be more than willing to hear you out and help you solve the problem. If anybody is unhappy with me being your leader come to the main hall and express your opinion. I will be all ears,” Neveran finished his broadcast.
Neveran did as promised, and he showed up to the main hall of the city settlement to await the complains. But no one dared to show up. The hall for the most part remained empty, with only Neveran and a few loyal soldiers inside of it.
“I guess they are not stupid after all. And the only one senseless enough to do such a thing is locked up somewhere in the container. I assure you that if he wasn’t, he would have been right here in front of us. I guess the old man was really saving his son at the end. But the time will come when his son will get what he deserves,” Neveran said, defiant to no one in particular as he exited the main hall.
Everyone in the settlement city knew that if they were to show up to contest or say anything about the new leadership, that would be the end of them.
Down in the container lockup, Rendeleor awaited for his next visitor for the day, as he knew that his punishment wouldn’t be over so soon. He had too many enemies in the settlement city, too many mindless, loyal soldiers to the cause.
He tensed as he heard footsteps walking down the stairs once again for the fifth time in the day since he got locked up. He was ready to give his life away, but he would never let go of his dignity.
“Whoever you are, you won’t get me to say whatever it is you want me to say. I can tell you right now—you’re wasting your energy, your time, and your punches with me. I won’t be
afraid and let fear control me,” Rendeleor said as he clenched his fist and held on tight to the chains that imprisoned him.
“What have they done to you? Are you okay? Can you still see?” a female voice spoke from across the container.
“Who is that? Is it you? Is it you, Veridiam?” Rendeleor said as he wiped blood out of his face. He tried to get closer to the door of the container, but he only got halfway when the chains reminded him of his limitations.
Rendeleor’s face and parts of his body were covered in his own blue-violet blood. But he was a fighter, and he did not look broken, at least not yet.
“Yes, it’s me,” Veridiam said with a broken voice. “Hold on before you say anything. I’ll loop the surveillance.” She then made a pane appear from the floor. She quickly typed some commands into the pane, and then it disappeared back into the floor. “There, it’s done.”
“You can do that?” Rendeleor asked, already expecting the answer.
“Of course. I just had to be here to do it. What did you expect from one of the few that are keeping this old technology alive? There’s little I cannot do,” she said with half a smile on her face.
“You never cease to amaze me,” he said, cringing from obvious pain when he talked.
“What have they done to you? Who were they? Did you get a good look at them?” she asked with obvious concern.
“No. Whenever they came into the container, they had the guards prep me with a sack over my face so I wouldn’t see. They’re cowards... They wouldn’t even undo my shackles. I don’t know how long they are planning to do this. My guess is that they’re going to do it until I am dead... or until there’s nothing left to punch,” he said with his face down.
“Those cowards... They will pay. I can go over the security feeds and know who they are. I’ll make them pay for what they did to you,” she said as she put a hand up on the glass dividing them. She noticed the spatter of blood next to her hand, and it got her angrier. “They will pay,” she said with gritted teeth.
“Stay out of it. If they find out you’re trying to help me, you’ll probably end up suffering a similar faith. I don’t want that for you,” he said, looking directly at her, worried.
“I can’t, and I won’t do such a thing. I am in it with you until the end. You know that things are not going to stay like this... You already know. Look at how far we’ve come. Conquering another planet was not our prime directive... Being here was not a prime directive. We were only supposed to find another planet that we could call home, not another inhabited planet with intelligent life. Look at the abominations we’ve become. Look at what they have made us become. This is not what we were set out to do,” she said, furious.
“Don’t include yourself with them. You haven’t done anything; this disaster is solely on the shoulders of my father and those who follow him. I don’t want anything bad to happen to you,” he said.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be smart about it. They won’t see it coming. For now, this container will malfunction, and nobody will be able to enter it again. I’ll make sure food still gets delivered to you, and I’ll go over every meal they send you. I would also make sure to send a medic kit,” she said with a sigh.
“Are we still being able to interfere with the reconstruction of the beam?” he asked with a hopeful tone.
“Yes, we’re doing everything we can. But it’s getting harder and harder to get in their way without them noticing. I’m afraid we still don’t have the numbers. Most Hackaram are scared to stand up to the regime,” she said as she clenched her left fist.
“Yes, I understand. We have to keep trying, though... do everything we can and consider all possibilities. We can’t let them reconstruct the beam. I’m afraid I’ll be of little help down here, but knowing Neveran, he will keep me down here for as long as he can. He wouldn’t want public show of dislike especially this early on with his new title,” he said as he walked back and forth.
“I have to stop the loop soon before these idiots notice. Please, try not to say things that would anger them more. I wouldn’t want them to find a way to break this glass. I’ll visit you soon,” she said as she pulled up the digital pane from the floor.
“Veridiam, can you do one more thing for me?” he asked as he suddenly remembered.
“Sure, anything. You can ask anything... And if it’s within my power, I’ll do it,” she said.
“On the next meal they’d send, can you make sure they send some kind of medication for my head? It’s throbbing so much,” he said, pressing his temple.
“I’ll make sure of that,” she said with a smile and began to walk away.
“And Veridiam, thank you. Thank you for everything...” he said before she was out of sight.
“You know I’ll always be there...” she said as she left.
“This is a nice trick you have here. Very well played. In many ways, I think the old man might’ve saved your life. What are we going to do with you, Rendeleor Palac, son of our great dead leader. Rendeleor Palac... the one that cannot be tamed. Rendeleor Palac... the one that does not want to take part on the ways of the great Hackaram. Rendeleor Palac...” he said his name slowly, “the one that is leading a treasonous group against all that we know. What will I ever do with you, Rendeleor Palac?”
“Neveran, it’s always a sickening feeling to see your face. It’s just so ugly. I feel like throwing up,” Rendeleor taunted as he got closer to the glass.
Losing his patience, Neveran slammed the glass, trying to divide them, but nothing happened.
“Isn’t it a little bit too late for visits? Don’t you want to be up there celebrating your so-called crown with your enablers?” Rendeleor said, getting as close to the glass as the chains permitted him.
“I wonder… I wonder if it wasn’t for this trick of yours, if you would be so brave as you are now? Now that your father is gone, there’s nothing really protecting you anymore. There’s nothing protecting you from me,” Neveran said, glaring.
“Maybe we can settle this right now. Unchain me, and I’ll get this glass open for you. Maybe we can find out which among us is the real coward,” Rendeleor said as he glared back.
“In all these years you’ve known me, you still don’t know what I am capable of? Amazing. Anyhow, I’m perfectly fine with having you here. You’ll just be a nuisance for me out there. I just came to tell you that whether you want it or not, it will be by your hand that our mothership will be called. Have fun thinking about that,” Neveran said as he began to leave.
“You’ll never get me to do that,” Rendeleor said, fuming.
“The beam will be finished soon. I’ll come get you then, even if I have to wreck the container myself!” Neveran yelled before he exited the place.
6
The Fall
The next day, it was two hours past noon when the Orca lost all its power, and it suddenly stopped, seemingly in the middle of nowhere. Anticipating that the Orca would stop, Jordan had engineered a small trolley to allow them to carry more supplies with less fatigue. They grabbed everything humanly possible to carry from the Orca, and they did it fast as they knew that they shouldn’t stop moving—not if they wanted to survive.
Even with their heavy specialized suits that shielded them from most of the heat of the desert, they still felt the scorching heat. They knew it would be a long, dangerous walk.
“Kenya, so how did we do? Where are we now?” Arnold asked as they started to walk, leaving the Orca behind.
“We did better than we thought. We are not too far from the site. If I am correct, and if we keep a steady pace, we will be there by sundown,” she said, unable to help the grin on her face.
The news brought delight to the group, as they thought that their ordeal would be almost over.
“All right, listen up! Avenn and Clint, take turns watching the rear. Kenya and me will be at the front. Jordan, stay right in the middle. If any of you see any unknown movement whatsoever, anything that looks suspicious, and even if
you have a funny feeling, let us know right away,” Arnold told them as they got ready for the long walk ahead.
“I guess the two love birds are up in the front of us, huh?” Clint said through a private channel to Avenn.
“What? Are you talking to me? Were you talking to me?” Avenn said, caught off-guard.
“Who else would I be talking to? None of the people are in this group,” Clint said, turning to look at Avenn.
Avenn thought for a second and then answered, “Ah... well, that’s what makes the most tactical sense, I guess. Do you know how to navigate to where we’re supposed to go?”
“Well then, I guess you have a point... She does make the most sense being up front. But what about Arnold? He hasn’t been a good leader so far. Why should he be up front?” Clint said casually.
“I don’t think any of us would have done any better than him. I don’t think anyone in the Havens would have done better than him. He had been prepping for this his whole life. We are just here along for the ride and help him any way we can,” Avenn said.
“Yeah, yeah, we have training too,” Clint replied.
“What’s your problem with Arnold? It’s because of him that we are alive. Anyway, you shouldn’t be talking to me right now. You should be paying attention to your surroundings. The last thing we want is some of those worms to appear,” Avenn reprimanded him.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa, chill! I’m just talking to pass the time. No harm intended. But fine, I’ll stay in the group channel and be bored to death listening to nothing,” Clint said.
“Damn, it sure looks like the wind is picking up,” Jordan chimed in, noticing the change in the weather.
“The more that we have to move it. Is everyone okay if we increase the pace?” Arnold asked.
They agreed and began to walk faster.
“Earlier, before we lost signal, I saw in the map that there’s a canyon near our destination. Maybe we could find some sort of shelter there,” Kenya said.