by Project Kyle
Sophia’s mind was still catching up to all the talking the man was doing, so there was a pause in her response. However, it seemed like, through all the scattered words, he simply wanted to know who she was and reassure her that she was safe. She felt that this was very sweet of him, even if his methods of expressing it were primitive at best.
She took a deep breath and answered him with a soft, timid voice.
“My name is Sophia Nelson. I am a warrior from the V.T.C… Or I was. Vincent Taylor didn’t trust me, and I had to leave, fearful that he would set up a court-martial to have me executed for a crime he staged. It was a common practice against warriors that either advanced in rank too quickly or simply made him paranoid. So, I decided to step down and I asked if they would cut me free. Vincent, thankfully, was relieved that I wanted out and accepted my request. Since then, I’ve been searching the galaxy for work and traveled to the planet Zentar. I was hoping to get a job as a simple caretaker. However, I was distracted by…him.”
Sadness seemed to cover the man’s face at Sophia’s response. It was evident that he knew Dr. Crimson all too well and that she was not the first girl he had deceived or tried to kill. It was troubling him greatly, and Sophia knew he was lost in thought.
Sophia took a deep breath and gently grabbed the man’s hands, which were starting to tremble.
“I didn’t have a chance with that stupid muzzle locked around my jaw,” Sophia started. “So, now that I have the chance, I just want to say thank you for saving my life. That was a very noble thing for you to do for me. But goodness, I was greatly impressed with how swiftly you were able to dodge Crimson’s attacks. I’ve seen him with a blade before, and he’s insanely good. As an ex-warrior, I want you to know that I am deeply impressed, and I can tell you that I do not impress easily.”
The man instantly snapped out of his little phase of sadness. A huge smile covered his face, and he spoke so quickly and so loudly that Sophia was startled at his change in attitude.
“Of course! Why would I not help such a nice girl like you? It was my honor.”
Sophia let go of his hands and paused again, as she needed a moment to get her bearings. But the man seemed to understand her need for a little time to respond; it was like he expected it. So, she didn’t feel rushed to speak, which was nice, considering how awkward the situation was becoming. But there was one question she still needed an answer to, one that should’ve been asked earlier in their conversation but had been forgotten, given the wild roller coaster ride she had been through. But it was time nonetheless, and Sophia finally asked the question that, unknown to her, would change her life forever.
“What is your name? Certainly, I must know the name of the man who saved my life.”
The man gave her a dorky grin.
“My name is irrelevant. Just call me Nerd. Supreme human intelligence and sole human agent of the organization known as Deep Cosmos.”
Sophia laughed at his response and was clearly amused. “Nerd? You had all the names to pick from and you picked Nerd?”
“I felt it was fitting!” Nerd responded. “I’m smart, witty, deep, but not much of a social butterfly, as you can see by the way I talk and converse with others. Besides, it was the code name of the former agent who…used to own this starship.”
Nerd began to lose focus again. The mention of the former ship’s owner had saddened him, but he was fighting it with everything he had. This was another puzzle piece to her hero’s backstory: it wasn’t Nerd who had originally owned the spacecraft. Obviously, he was close to someone who had connections. This didn’t mean much at the moment, but if she learned more about him, maybe it would give her some more insight into who he was.
Now Sophia was very intrigued. There was a lot going on within this strange man, and although he was socially awkward, he seemed to care about others a lot. He seemed to care about her a lot, even though they had just met that day.
Nerd regained his focus. He felt it was best to change the subject. He didn’t want to have a meltdown in front of his new guest like he did the last time.
“So!” he started. “You wanted to be a caretaker. I’m quite intrigued that you would go from a warrior to someone who preserves life. We kind of need more people like that nowadays!”
“I suppose so,” Sophia responded. “I was hoping that connecting with nature would help me to recover.”
“Recover?” he asked.
“Yeah, it’s a long story. Can I ask you a question?”
“Shoot!”
“Are you a doctor? You carry yourself like one.”
“I am indeed! I do more research than attending patients, but I can prescribe medication, diagnose illness, and I’ve been trained to be a therapist if I need to be. That was a huge challenge for me. You’d understand if you knew how bad I used to be with talking to people back when I started. Though I was pretty good at listening. So, I guess I had the more important trait down.”
“I have always felt safe around doctors. I don’t know why, but I always have. But today, I saw one attempt to do something that was completely inhumane. You seem to know Dr. Crimson well, obviously better than I did. I just…I just want to know why he would do that to me. Why would he try to hurt me? I’ve never tried to hurt him.”
Nerd took a deep breath and answered Sophia’s question the same way he did to the others before her who had escaped from Crimson’s clutches.
“Dr. Crimson suffers from a mental condition known as antisocial personality disorder. Most of humanity recognizes those with the disorder as psychopaths. Someone who does not have the capability to feel compassion or remorse. In fact, with the exception of emotions that run on adrenaline and dopamine, he really can’t feel emotion at all. Still, he is a master at mimicking human emotion, especially if someone has something he wants. He can appear to be a perfect angel, a gentle-natured man who loves everyone. Believe me, as a friend, I fell for it too. But when he gets bored with you, or if you don’t see eye to eye with his twisted view of human life, that angel literally shuts off, and a cold, empty killing machine takes its place. One that longs to devour any trace of light that can be found in this galaxy… I’m sorry, Sophia, I really am. I was able to save you from the physical damage, but knowing him, he attempted to cut more deeply than his literal blade ever could.”
Sophia suddenly felt something break inside her. She wasn’t at all ready to reveal her secrets or insecurities to a man she had just met, especially after what just happened with Crimson. It didn’t matter if Nerd was a doctor, or that he had even saved her life, she didn’t want to be that vulnerable again; but, the cold state of shock was starting to wear off and reality was rearing its ugly head. Despite her desperate attempts to keep her emotions to herself, Sophia felt her grip on control slip as words and emotions spilled out without letting up.
“He ripped open everything!” Sophia shouted as her emotions came to life. “My childhood, my teen years, all the pain and disappointment I went through; it’s all been brought back to me! He reminded me of how worthless I am, how unloved I am. No one loves me, and for a moment I thought that he did… I was wrong.”
“You’re not worthless, Sophia,” he said to her. “I have known you for precisely one hour and 9.4 seconds, and even I can see you have many qualities that make you valuable.”
“But that’s not how I feel,” Sophia responded. “He used me, and I can’t get that out of my head!”
“Let me guess. You were his one true love, an angel in his eyes, a glimmer of light in a dark reality, a gift, and one he would cherish with his life. Then, when his little show was over, you were worthless, beyond hope, a disappointment that would be better off dead, and he used that twisted logic to justify what he was about to do to you.”
“Yes,” Sophia responded, “that is exactly what he said…and what he did.”
Nerd closed his eyes and began flicking his fingers into his chest like he was typing. He started mumbling and was again lost in thought. Sophia was at least touched
that Crimson’s actions against her upset him. But she was also a little creeped out, as her savior seemed to be a little off. He was far from normal, and although he showed extreme intelligence, he was really struggling to carry on a normal conversation with her. Everything had to be advanced, intense, or quirky. Even the simplest of things were complicated, and it made her feel a little uncomfortable at times. She didn’t know why she trusted him so quickly and opened up to him after knowing him for only an hour. It was like he had abilities normal humans just didn’t have. It was beautiful, yet very unsettling.
While all this was going through Sophia’s head, the silence was broken as Nerd began to speak again.
“Sophia,” he continued. “Why don’t I show you to your room? It’s been a rough day, and I think we both need some time to ourselves. Just tell me where you need to go, and I will make sure to take you there. I will have to make a stop before I drop you off. After that, I’ll make sure to set you free. Remember, you’re not a prisoner here. No one is ever a prisoner here…not on my ship, not ever…”
Sophia let out a sigh. She began to tear up again, as her current situation was brought to mind.
“I have nowhere to go,” she said to him. “I’m not safe on Zentar, and I have nothing on my home world Zecarah…especially with what’s happening there right now. My parents disowned me, and every friend I’ve ever had abandoned me. You can drop me off wherever you wish. I have no home to return to.”
Nerd seemed to be drawn into Sophia’s story. He removed his glasses, giving Sophia a clear view of his hazy blue eyes. They were focused on her, which was unusual considering how he had struggled to make eye contact before.
“You’re…alone,” he said to her in a very calm yet saddened voice.
“Yes,” Sophia responded. “I am alone. I’m the one that no one wants in their life, and no one ever will.”
Nerd let out a huge sigh. He maintained eye contact, but this time in a way that was not creepy. It was clear that he understood what she was feeling, even though he was unable to put it into words. It was there, buried underneath his geeky shell. He closed his eyes and rubbed his forehead, grimacing, before seeming to come to a temporary solution with a slight nod.
“I need time to think this through. Please go upstairs into the top section of the ship. The room is small, but it contains everything you will need. Try to rest up…you’re going to need it.”
Sophia could not think of a response, so she didn’t say anything. She simply nodded her head and left the bridge. She walked through the long hallway, entered the main dock, and made her way upstairs until she reached the room Nerd had asked her to go to. It was indeed small, but there was food, along with a refrigerator full of drinks. There was a TV with a game console plugged into it. There was a sleeping bag on the floor and next to it was what looked to be a tablet. Sophia wasn’t in the mood to eat or drink; she was very depressed and still shaken over everything that had happened. But she figured she would at least try to keep her mind active enough to keep it off of Dr. Crimson. She sat on the sleeping bag, picked up the tablet, and turned it on.
There was no password, so she had no problem getting to the main screen. There were many apps on it: games, news, social media, photos, and galactic livestream, the number one video streaming site in the galaxy. I guess I can binge watch my favorite shows, she thought to herself. At least until Nerd finds me a new home.
She crawled under the sleeping bag and held the device upward. She was about to view the movies and videos on galactic livestream when she noticed that someone had sent a text to the device. It wasn’t in her nature to snoop; however, her curiosity got the better of her. She pressed the message and was stunned when a video popped up.
She let out a yelp at the sight that appeared in front of her. A strange creature wearing a double-breasted gray suit and a gray fedora was looking back at her. It wouldn’t have been so frightening if it wasn’t for the fact that the creature’s face was simply one giant eyeball, bloodshot and angry-looking. The creature began to speak. It didn’t take long for Sophia to realize that the creature was not evil at all. In fact, the message was pre-recorded, intended for her. It was about Nerd, and the creature was speaking about him as a concerned friend. Sophia listened to every word, eager to hear what the creature had to say.
“Greetings, young human. I am known as the Observer. If you are receiving this message, then Nerd’s little disobedience to orders paid off. He was able to save you from the second most wanted man on the Deep Cosmos criminal list, Dr. Crimson.
“First, I want to offer my condolences, because I know how much pain that man can inflict on others. I know how much pain he inflicted on Nerd, and it broke my hearts to watch. The kid has done well, filling the shoes of the former legend and living up to our expectations as Aiden’s successor. But as hard as the kid has tried, he is still very much lost. Crimson messed him up good and used his mask as a means to incriminate Nerd. Yes, you are in the starship of the most wanted criminal in the galactic government. Nerd’s real name is David Bell. He is the one who was found guilty in the Cosmic 5 tragedy of illegal human experimentation.”
Sophia felt her joints lock as her heart accelerated. She had read about David Bell in the Galactic Times and learned what he had done to people. Thousands were mutilated against their will, and many of them died within the laboratories walls. The papers were only able to report a small fraction of the things he had done, but the small fraction that was revealed was enough to spread fear and terror throughout the galaxy. She began trembling, realizing that she had simply switched hands from one psychopath to the other.
“I know you probably feel scared right now.” That was the understatement of the year! “But I can reassure you that you have no reason to be. David did not kill those people; that has been proven. Dr. Crimson killed those people and paid off the judges to support his story. David took the fall, Crimson got away with murder, and he continues to murder down to this very day.
“Now that I have revealed the truth, I have a favor to ask of you that may decide whether this galaxy survives or not. We need David if we’re going to survive the things that are about to come.
“As you know, David Bell is a hated man. This is why he hides behind his glasses and nerdy exterior. It’s built up in him over this last year, and although I am proud of the progress he has made as an agent, I fear that this man is at the end of his rope. It’s going to get worse now, considering he disobeyed the central commander’s orders not to get involved with Dr. Crimson. To put it mildly, he may have sacrificed his future in Deep Cosmos for you. Obviously your life was more important to him than his own, and the amazing thing about that is, he never even knew you. He never knew who you were, yet he sacrificed everything to save you. That’s the kind of man I’ve grown to know and love—the man who would sacrifice everything to save the life of a stranger. And now, I want you to do the same. I beg you to do the same.
“I want you to save the one person he is incapable of saving. I want you to help the one person he could never upbuild, encourage, or protect. Sophia, I want you to save David Bell. He is the only source of light this galaxy has to offer. Please, please save David Bell.”
The video message ended, and Sophia felt all her emotions fade away. She had been on such an emotional roller coaster ride that day, and finally it had become too much for her heart to handle. She no longer knew who to trust, for it seemed that everyone who promised to take care of her was eager to stab her in the back as soon as she let her guard down.
She wanted to believe what the Observer was saying; she wanted to believe that David was framed by the same man who tried to take her life. At least then she could know her life wasn’t still in danger. But could she really trust the words of a creature she had never met? Could she believe that a man she had feared for a good year was just an innocent victim, incriminated by someone who was far worse? She didn’t know, and her mind couldn’t handle it right now.
Sophi
a crawled further into her sleeping bag and pulled it over her face. Her body and mind had finally had enough and shut down for the rest of the night. She faded away into a dream, a faraway place, a reality where she could escape from the grim existence she was trapped in.
Chapter 3 The Observer
Earth date: February 5th, 2010
Time: 1400
Location: Central Core, the gap between realities
The Observer made his way into the airlift, deathly nervous over what he was about to do. It was not every day the supreme commander would listen to an appeal, especially before the court-martial even took place, but it had to be done. If he did nothing, his friend would be removed from the Deep Cosmos ranks, shattering any hope of Crimson ever being brought to justice.
The airlift door closed and the structure shot up like a cannon.
Only moments separated the Observer from his greatest fear, a meeting with the one person he was unable to monitor, predict, or understand. A person who many avoided approaching at all costs. For although the Supreme Commander oversaw an organization devoted to doing good, he was not known for his ability to tolerate the imperfections of those working underneath him.
Within seconds, the top floor was reached, and the airlift door slowly opened. The room was dark and lit with dim blue and purple neon lights. It was huge, with enough space for a large house to sit comfortably inside it. There were monitors everywhere, each one displaying a different person or territory in the SC’s command.
At first, the Observer did not know what to do. He was too nervous to make a move. The supreme commander, however, wasn’t going to waste much time with him and commanded him to walk over to his desk.
“You said this meeting was urgent,” the supreme commander stated.
“Yes,” the Observer replied as he hesitantly made his way toward the commander’s desk, shrinking in the commander’s shadow.
No one had ever seen the supreme commander’s true identity, as he was somehow able to hide behind a shadow. No one knew how he did this, and no one knew what race he was or where he came from, let alone how he was ever granted the authority that was bestowed upon him. All they knew was to never question the supreme commander’s logic. Those who did were often fired or mysteriously disappeared from existence. Still, there was too much on the line for the Observer to be worried about his own safety. The Observer spoke up and began to plead his case.