“You are a healer, and you are a friend. But not even you can fight the course of life. You have offered us relief from our daily pain. That is the most precious aid.”
The doctor again felt he was tearing up. He hoped he would not be making this man’s final family dinner a sad one. He looked away, looked to the stars. Somewhere out there was a man who had been given the best of what life had to offer and yet he wanted more. And then, when he had found more, so much more, he set out to destroy what he had found.
In his past life, before Kalhydon, brother Torje had been a scientist. That was a distant memory, as if a lifetime had passed and not merely two years. In those two years he had tried to be of service to the brothers in the best way he could, by using his knowledge of medicine to ease their daily pain. For that, they loved and respected him. He offered them a little comfort when their government and their fellow man offered nothing. It was as if the whole world wanted to punish them for having contacted this horrible disease.
As they walked towards Brother Elias’ home, they passed the island’s small theater, where those who still possessed the health and energy put on performances for their brothers. The doctor remembered how touched he had been to discover that they even had a theater. They, who had been sent here to rot away before even having died, had found pleasure in watching a play or performing in one.
He remembered how he had left the room crying the first time he had seen one of the sisters getting ready for her performance. She had placed a blond wig over her own hair, which had partly fallen off, revealing hideous bald spots covered with boils. She was looking in the mirror, trying to adjust that wig. She tried to make herself look beautiful. Her disfigured face was a celebration of homeliness and yet she tried to make herself as pretty as she possibly could.
The doctor remembered feeling a lump in the throat, as though he was about to throw up, not from disgust but from profound sadness. He smiled at her but then quickly exited the room. He went behind the small building where he crouched, with his chin resting on his knees, and cried like a small child. Brother Elias had found him like that and placed a loving and understanding hand on his shoulder, as though it was not them but he who was suffering and in need of comfort.
Remembering that day, he realized how the brothers lived in the company of death every single moment. They accepted its inevitability. They learned to embrace life. He, on the other hand, was running from it, hiding in fear like frightened prey. What was death, actually? Was it not the same for him as it was for them? He wondered if he might not, after all, be the unfortunate one among them.
They reached Brother Elias’ simple white house, carved into the rock for protection against the blistering heat. From far away, he could already smell the delicious scent of Anita’s bread soup. It was a scent that survived, that rose up above the horrible stench of the people. That stench had vanished when his brain had decided to simply make it disappear.
Chapter 6
After the Great Exodus of 2091, which saw 792 of the world’s most powerful telepaths flee Earth to evade the restrictions set up against the use of telepathy, the United Governments of Earth, fearing a future attack from these so-called ‘enemies of mankind’, decided to create a military force to represent all of Earth and the planets under the administration of the U.G.E (an allegiance between United States of Eurasia, Free Africa and the United Continents of America).
In 2092, the United Earth Army, the most numerous and well equipped military force in history, was created and placed under the command of Thomas Liam Anderson, then 47 years of age and already a decorated general in the Eastern States Army of the United Continents of America.
A brilliant strategist with an excellent instinct for efficient tactical coordination, Anderson brought under one roof the greatest military minds on Earth and elaborated a joint philosophical and strategic framework, which became the key to the army’s success. In just 13 years the United Earth Army was the ranking military system on every single colonized planet.
When the Evolutionists attacked Earth in 2107 in what is known as the ‘Great War of Minds’ or ‘Mindwar’, the United Earth Army was instrumental in defeating them, ensuring the survival of the United Governments of Earth. General Anderson is credited for having single-handedly influenced the war’s outcome, with his successful - albeit controversial - decision to include mindguards among the troops in mandatory military service.
In 2110, two years after the end of the Mindwar, the United Governments of Earth became the Interstellar Federation of Common Origin under First President Manmuhan Mukerjee and the United Earth Army became the Enforcement Unit.
Kinsey Ayers, A New History of Old Earth
When the famous Sheldon Ayers entered the main office of the Ayers-Ross Thoughtprotection Agency, the air itself felt heavier, charged with some mysterious form of energy, as if it too were aware of the intense presence of the great man. At least that’s what Alex Lea thought.
He had studied the legendary mindguard for years and was trying to shape his own career around the mold of Sheldon’s. When he finally managed to land the position of Junior Mindguard at Ayers-Ross, Alex could not believe his luck. To be working at the same agency as the most celebrated mindguard in the world was something he had been dreaming of his entire adult life. Now that his dream was becoming reality, he had every intention of proving himself worthy of learning from his distinguished mentor.
Unfortunately, things had initially not played out the way he had hoped. In the seven months of working for the agency, he had never met Sheldon. Contrary to what everyone was saying, the man appeared to be completely retired.
A little while ago he talked to Mac about Sheldon’s activity within the company, careful not to seem overzealous. The Head of Operations told him that Sheldon only came on board for high-profile cases. Alex was disappointed, but he tried not to let that bring him down. He had struggled for years to get to where he was, studying, perfecting his craft and fighting his way to the top. Everything he had achieved in life was due to the fact that he never gave up, always moved forward and never lost sight of his ultimate goal: to one day be the next Sheldon Ayers.
He knew he was still very young, especially for this profession, but he drew courage from the fact that Sheldon himself was a lot younger than people expected, given his unbelievable career. It hadn’t always been easy for Alex. His time with Ayers-Ross had been a parade of ups-and-downs, especially since the senior mindguard, Isabel Mensah, didn’t seem very fond of him. She was always distant and reluctant to teach him, in spite of Ross’ insistence that she bring him up to company standard as soon as possible. Alex wondered why the woman had such an aversion towards him. Francois, one of his colleagues, told him not to worry, it was nothing personal. Apparently, Isabel was suspicious of every mindguard who was not Sheldon Ayers.
“You’ll be fine,” Francois had assured him. “She’ll warm up to you eventually. You’ve outlasted the last three mindguards by at least five months, that’s got to be a sign that she thinks you’ve got potential. And I know the boss likes you, that’s the most important thing. Isabel’s got a lot of pull, but in the end it’s still Mac’s call. Not even Sheldon has a bigger say than Mac. This company is practically his baby.”
Alex was happy to be in Mac’s good graces. Still, in a way, Isabel’s opinion was more important on a personal level, because she was a fellow mindguard. Ayers-Ross was a very unusual agency. They only employed three mindguards in total and only two of them, meaning Alex and Isabel, were on a full-time schedule. The agency was also known for accepting very few missions, for a very select group of clients.
Now that Sheldon had finally made his appearance, Alex was looking forward to learning from him and observing his interaction with Isabel in order to pick up the right way to go about earning her respect. She didn’t like him and didn’t trust him because he was no Sheldon Ayers. But he would one day become Sheldon Ayers, if given the opportunity. On that day, he will have
reached the pinnacle of his profession.
He was planning to introduce himself and was just waiting for the man to make the rounds and say hi to all of his acquaintances first. When Sheldon stepped into the room, the world seemed to stop. Everyone turned around and froze in silence for a brief moment. After that, the chants of ‘hey Sheldon’, ‘welcome back, buddy’, ‘where have you been hiding’ started in unison. Almost everyone seemed excited about his return. Whether Sheldon himself was excited was anybody’s guess; his face betrayed no visible emotion.
“Welcome back, you piece of shit,” said a surly voice from the back of the room. It belonged to Kriss White, the agency’s legal representative. Alex assumed the old man was only joking, though he could discern no humor or affection in his voice. Sheldon neither answered nor even looked at White. Forty minutes after the incident, Alex still had no idea what the nature of their relationship was, for the two men had exchanged no words since.
When Isabel Mensah laid eyes on Sheldon, her face lit up. Even Sheldon was smiling. He took her hands into his and touched her forehead with his own. Alex later found out it was a formal greeting used on Isabel’s home planet, El Agadez.
“Sheldahn,” she said with her deep voice and thick accent. “Hello, Isabel”, he calmly replied. They spent the next few seconds looking into each other’s eyes, smiling like a pair of reunited lovers.
“Is there something going on between them?” Alex whispered to Francois, whose desk was right next to his. The man shook his head. “Nah, they just get like that around each other. I think it’s a mindguard thing.”
“Really?” Alex said. He decided not to tell him that he had never seen any such ‘mindguard thing’, neither in his brief career nor at the training center. Although Isabel was somewhat older than Sheldon, Alex did not dismiss the possibility that the two could be lovers. Their chemistry in the field was legendary and they seemed to understand each other in a singular way.
Isabel was also very beautiful and very fit for her age. Visually, she was a stunning presence. Her flawless black skin contrasted vibrantly with her colorful robes. Her dark dreadlocks were arranged in such a way as to resemble a crown, an homage to her cultural heritage. On El Agadez, her appearance identified her as royalty. Alex knew that she stemmed from a royal family which claimed to be able to trace its roots as far back as two millennia. She had great charisma and a profound intelligence that Alex was certain would attract a man like Sheldon.
“It is good to have you back, Sheldahn,” she said.
“Good to be back, Iz,” he answered. For the first time, he seemed to be speaking from the heart.
Alex took a few steps forward and cleared his throat. Isabel turned to look at him and, to the young mindguard’s surprise, she offered an affectionate smile. It seemed that Sheldon’s arrival had greatly improved her disposition.
“Sheldahn,“ she said, “this is Alex Lea, our junior mindguard.”
“Pleasure to meet you,” the veteran said and shook his hand, but avoided looking at him directly. His gaze swept the office, as if looking for something. Alex had heard about Sheldon’s tendency to seem preoccupied with something other than his interlocutor. It seemed that the only person to be privy to his full attention was Isabel Mensah.
“It’s an honor to finally meet you, sir,” Alex said, hoping that his voice didn’t sound shaky or betray the frustration of not having had the opportunity to work with him in the last seven months.
“Sheldon, please… call me Sheldon,” the veteran insisted. “I’ve heard good things about you, Alex.”
“Really?” the young man asked, realizing only a fraction of a second later how dumb he had sounded. “Uhm…” He looked at Isabel who seemed amused.
“Yes,” Sheldon continued impassibly. “It seems you’re doing a good job around here. I’m looking forward to working with you.”
“Yes, sir… uh… Sheldon. Unfortunately I won’t have the honor of collaborating with you on this particular mission.”
“Well, don’t be discouraged,” Isabel said. “It is a high-profile mission and the Djago Desert is very dangerous territory. The client insisted to have Sheldahn, and Mac wants me to team up with him, given my experience. I’m sure you will get to work with him in the very near future.”
“Of course,” the junior mindguard said, trying to hide his disappointment.
“If you’d like, we can have a cup of coffee together after the briefing,” Sheldon said. “I’d like to hear about your experience at Ayers-Ross. That is, if you are not busy.”
“Uh… yes… no… I mean, I’m not. Busy, that is,” Alex mumbled, completely taken aback by Sheldon’s invitation. He had always heard that the veteran was notoriously cold and distant so he didn’t expect him to be so forthcoming. He remembered, though, that Sheldon was a consummate professional. It was natural for him to want to get to know the new employee. He was, after all, co-owner of the company.
“All right. We’ll talk later then.”
“I’d like that,” Alex said, feeling a great sense of victory.
Sheldon and Isabel left the office arm in arm, as a radiant Alex returned to his desk. He planned to get some work done but he couldn’t get his mind off the fact that, in a few hours, he would be spending time with Sheldon Ayers, getting to learn from the man that had done more for the business than any other mindguard since the days of his legendary grandfather, Kinsey.
After a few minutes of staring blankly at the files on his retinal insertions, trying to focus and failing, he decided to take a break from work. At that moment, the doors opened and Maclaine Ross entered the office joined by an exceptionally attractive young lady. Alex’s jaw almost dropped at the sight of the beautiful woman. Standing next to the gargantuan Ross, she appeared short, but she had the well-proportioned body of someone who pursued lots of physical activity. Her blond hair was pulled back in a ponytail, adding to her sportive appearance.
“Gentlemen…“ Mac seemed like he was about to say ‘lady’, when he looked around and saw that Isabel was not there. “Uh… I’d like you to meet the lovely Sophie Gaumont, the carrier of our client’s information package.” The girl greeted everyone with a huge smile, shaking hands left and right, with the exuberance of a child, while Ross made the introductions.
“…and this is our junior mindguard, Alex Lea,” he said, when they reached the smitten agent’s desk. The young man bowed and kissed her hand, to which she responded with a big, warm smile, while Ross looked on in amusement. He cleared his throat. “Been showing the young lady around, getting her acquainted with the place and warning her about you people, so don’t try and be cute.”
His remark was met with laughter. Kriss White, who didn’t partake in the amusement, walked up to them and informed Ross that ‘your asshole friend is here having lunch with his high school sweetheart’.
“Don’t mind Mr. White,” Mac told Sophie. “He’s been in a terrible mood since realizing that his best days are behind him.” Turning to White: “Have you prepared the briefing room?”
“It’s been ready for half an hour,” the old man barked. “Are we going to start sometime today? I’ve got a ton of other shit I need to get to.”
“You’re aware you’re making us look completely unprofessional?!”
“Not like that t-shirt of yours is doin’ us any favors,” the old man retorted, making a gesture towards Ross’ skin-tight outfit. The young woman appeared to enjoy the back-and-forth. Alex could not take his eyes off her. She had a pristine, innocent beauty - like a fairytale character. Ross again turned his attention to his client. “Thing is, we’re so damned good that we can behave like jerks from time to time,” he joked. “I think the more competent you are, the more unprofessional you can afford to appear… to an untrained eye, of course.”
“Of course,” the girl answered, winking playfully.
“All right, so… I guess we wait until Sheldon and Isabel get back from lunch and then we can have the briefing.”
“Sheldon Ayers will be here, right?” she asked Ross.
“Yes, he will be attending the meeting. He is having lunch with a colleague right now.” She seemed relieved.
“Ma’am,” White insisted, finally capturing her attention. “The training… you’ve completed it, right?”
“I’m sorry, yes. Yes I have.”
“All right, ‘cos you need to have every minute of it done and you need to be able to prove it before we leave.”
“I will make available the documents that attest my participation in the training course,” she said. “Also, you don’t need to worry, I have accompanied my father on many of his travels. I have extensive survival experience, even in deserts.”
“Not the Djago Desert ma’am, that’s a whole other story,” the old man said, shaking his head.
“Well, we’ll leave that for the briefing,” Mac said. “For now, Sophie, why don’t you join me in my office? Since we have some time, I’d like to have a conversation with your father. I’d like you to be there as well.”
“My pleasure,” she said and turning to Alex: “I’ll see you later.” She smiled again and Alex was stunned.
“Mac’ll kill you if you hit on one of the clients,” Francois whispered, smirking. “Believe me, I’ve been there. It almost got me fired.”
“Really?“
“Yeah, well, I had it coming. Mac likes to joke around but he won’t tolerate any unprofessional behavior.”
“Oh, it’s not… it’s not the case,” Alex said. Francois laughed. “Damn shame though, she’s cute as hell.” Alex nodded but said nothing.
“She’s also smart, so I probably wouldn’t have a chance in the first place. She doesn’t fit the profile of my usual companions, if you know what I mean,” Francois said, pointing at his head. Alex laughed. He had heard numerous stories about Francois’ conquests and the hilarious catastrophes that often followed.
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