“What do you mean by you never knew? You have been here on several occasions before, haven’t you?” Estramos nodded. “I have. But I always came alone. I never had anyone else come with me.” “Whatever. I just don’t like the fact that he has to go bring my hostage here. I am the one that wants to see him. He should understand.”
“And you should understand that you are becoming paranoid over simple things. Relax, Colonel.” Just then, there was a bright glow of light. It started as a dot and then it expanded rapidly like a fire that was rapidly consuming matter. Finally, it blossomed into a bright ball. And as suddenly as it had appeared, it suddenly simmered away, revealing the man and Kristen.
The colonel had already drawn her gun when the light had first appeared. But when she saw who it was, she relaxed and quietly replaced the pistol in her holster. She walked around to sit down on her seat.
The man pointed at another chair and looked at Kristen. “You may sit,” he said. Kristen sat down and looked around the dimly lit room. She gazed briefly at Estramos, who was simply smiling at her. The colonel appeared to be glaring at her.
What is the matter? Kristen was wondering. If she had any issues, she should be taking it up with the man in the robe and not her. After all, it was he who had brought her to this place. She had not come on her own accord.
The man then sat down at the extreme of the set of seats. From his position, he could clearly see all three of them. Looking from his right, there was first Kristen, followed by Estramos, and finally the colonel.
“I am back,” he said, looking at both Estramos and the colonel. “I am sorry, but it is the way I work. I do not see anyone alone when there are others in the entourage. No matter how many they might be. Estramos should have told this to you. But that was if he already knew. And I am sure he did not know.”
“All right, can we get down to business? You must know why I am here,” the colonel stated. “I am the reason why there is an, as you say, entourage. I had to break Estramos out of prison to get me to this place and it was for a very important reason.”
“Yes. I can see that you have been very impatient and upset. But you may go ahead and state what your mission here is,” the man replied.
“I need Seeds, and I need them fast. The fate of my people is hanging in the balance, and if nothing is done quickly, there might not be any one of my kind left anymore.”
“You have always gotten the Seeds from other sources before now. But you think two tons of gold is too much for the gift of a single life,” the man stated.
“Wait,” the colonel started to say something but stopped. She looked at Estramos, who was just smiling. “How do you know about that? Okay, I see. Estramos here must have given you some background intel about me and my mission. You must have already had prior knowledge of my coming.”
“Estramos did no such thing,” the man replied simply. “When do you think he would have had the time and opportunity to contact me from your ship on the journey to this nebula?”
“He must have,” the colonel insisted. “After all, he wasn’t in my presence all through the entire trip. There were moments when he was all by himself.”
“Colonel, what are you trying to insinuate?” Estramos asked. “That I sent him information on you? Are you crazy? What do you take me for?”
“It is all right, Estramos,” the man said. “She is entitled to her opinion, even though such opinions might not be founded and, in some cases, they might not be for the greater good of all parties involved.”
“Greater good?” the colonel repeated. “What do you mean by that? Is my quest for the survival of my race not for the good of my people?”
“I was not referring to your people,” the man replied. “I was referring to your companions on your quest—Estramos and the nivrus woman.”
The colonel sat up and glared at Kristen and Estramos. “Them? What have they got to do with anything?”
“Everything,” the man replied. “Everything has got do with them on this because they do not stand to benefit anything from you. They never did, and they never will.”
Both Estramos and Kristen sat up. Kristen had been taken aback by what the man had just said. She observed that Estramos had placed a finger on his trigger and was glaring at the colonel, who was looking around uncomfortably.
Estramos looked at the colonel. “What is all this about, Colonel?” he asked in a steely voice.
“Look, I don’t know what he is talking about,” the colonel replied. “Can’t you see I am also confused?” “What do you find confusing?” the man asked. “Everything you have just said. You are just trying to cause acrimony between all of us,” the colonel replied.
“Am I? I don’t think so. The person who did not ever have any chance of ending well is the human woman. It was either going to be that she and her other crew members were going to fall at your hand or you would trade them to Estramos. But even that is in doubt. I know already that you do not intend to carry out your obligation to Estramos on this transaction. Apart from that, you also did not intend to carry out any transactions with me.”
“That is a flat-out lie,” the colonel protested. “What makes you say so? I have been buying Seeds all this while.”
“Yes,” the man agreed. “But that was from the black market. Your intention was that once Estramos brought you here, you would simply finish off the supplier and take what you could get. A really foolish idea.”
“Is that true, Colonel? So you did not intend to make any settlements whatsoever? And you made me bring you all the way to this place?” Estramos growled. The colonel was now backing away gradually on the seat.
“Calm yourself, Estramos,” the man said. “Perhaps she just did not know who she was coming to meet. This was why she felt she could come up with ideas of her own. It is such a pity.”
“Look, I am sorry,” the colonel said. “Okay, I admit it. I was thinking I could just raid whoever was in charge and take away whatever I could get. I am sorry, okay?”
“How could you even think of such a thing?” Estramos growled. “It is all right, Estramos. You should be more concerned with what will be the fate of each one of you after you leave this place.”
Estramos looked away from the colonel in anger. He focused his gaze at the man in front of them. “What do you mean?”
“Even though you have all been travelling as a group up to this moment, your fates are going to be separated into three distinct paths once you begin to leave this place.”
Kristen had not said a word since she had been brought to the dimly lit room. She was still confused about who the man was and what he was revealing to them all. And then the allegations against Colonel Havlun were unsettling.
The man turned his attention to Kristen. “Your people on your planet are looking up to you for succor and rescue. However, you are lost. You do not know where to look anymore. The paths you have taken have all led you to people and places where your salvation cannot come from.”
Kristen was nodding her head. “I don’t know what to do. I and my crew just want to go home, but even that will not be a solution because our home is on the verge of destruction. We are supposed to find another planet to accommodate our kind but it is not possible. We were hoping to meet with the makers before we encountered Colonel Havlun and the Gualdions,” she said.
“Your search for a planet will not be the best solution. And the reason for this is because your people are presently in a state of chaos and confusion. They will not be in any position to embark on a rescue and evacuation operation, even if you do succeed in getting another planet. Your best bet is to contact the makers,” the man added.
“But how do we locate the makers?” Kristen asked. “In due course, I will guide you on this. In the meantime, you must be separated from the Gualdions. And that separation must be immediate.”
“But you cannot do that!” Colonel Havlun protested. “They belong to me! You cannot take them away from me.”
“Colone
l, they are supposed to be mine,” Estramos said. “They are part of our bargain, remember?” “What bargain?” the colonel asked. “When I have not seen any Seeds you are busy talking about a bargain?”
“That is enough,” the man said quietly. “Colonel, already you do not even qualify to be a custodian of the Seeds. Do you know why?”
“Why? What do you mean by that?” the colonel asked. “You have gone ahead and committed a very abominable thing that the very forces of nature abhor.”
“What?” the colonel asked. “How did you…who told you?” “Nobody told me anything,” the man replied. “I know everything. You cross-fertilised your eggs with the seeds of the human race. And out of the three of them only one of them survived, and it appears that your solution has come.”
“What?” Estramos asked. He glared at the colonel. “But you never told me any of this!” “Why would she tell you when she has other plans for you?” the man said. “In the end everyone will get what they deserve. As for you, Estramos, you might need to consider a different plan because there is no payment coming for you and the humans are not going to even be part of any deal.”
“What?” Estramos growled. His attention was now directed at the man. “You mean I don’t get anything for bringing her here?”
“What more do you need other than your freedom to continue to look for another, better job? The colonel got you out of jail. That should be enough for you.”
“And what about me?” the colonel asked. “I came all the way here. I am the reason we are here in the first place.” “And you are also the reason you will not get anything in return,” the man replied. “You do not deserve anything good to come your way. Not from me, nor even any of these people who are seated with you.”
“But why are you doing this to me? Can’t you help me in any way? I already said I was sorry and I meant it. Can’t you see? I am serious. I am sorry.”
“Your apology has been noted. But so also is your initial intention. Your kind have already been punished by the makers for their wicked ways. And still you patronized the black market to continue your lineage. You know how much it was costing you. Do you think I would be willing to direct you to the source for you to exploit it? No. I will do no such thing.”
The colonel was shaking her head. “So what becomes of me and my people?” she asked. “You just have to accept your fate as it is. And by the way, you can call and confirm from your people. The last cross-breed you have is not even going to survive. It was not going to survive because if it did, then you would start hunting for humans all over again. You just have to come to terms with this. Your race is not going to survive. They were not meant to survive because it is how the makers wanted it.”
“But it is not fair!” the colonel said. She pointed at Kristen. “And what about her? Their world is already on the verge of destruction. How can they be favoured by you to meet the makers and I do not have a chance?”
“Because she was sincere and never meant evil or harm to anyone,” the man replied.
“You cannot be serious about the experiment. It has to survive!” the colonel insisted.
“You think so?” the man asked. “Okay. Go on. Call your people on your ship. Confirm from them.” The colonel hurriedly brought her communication device from her pocket and quickly pressed some buttons.
“Hello? Yes, it is me. What is the status of the third cross that was done?” There was a pause as the colonel listened. And then she exclaimed. “What? It has disintegrated as well?”
The colonel quietly put the communication device away and lowered her eyes to the floor. “Who are you, anyway?” the colonel finally asked.
“I am just a messenger,” the man replied. “I carry out messages to those who need them.” “But that was not what Estramos made me believe,” the colonel continued. “He spoke of you in good terms, like you were some sort of supplier who had a hand in everything; someone on whom he could rely to make stuff available.”
“Like I just told you, I am a messenger. I can give you what you want as long as I know you deserve it and it will be of benefit for your cause.”
“So you can supply weapons to Estramos to commit his heists and aid his roles as a mercenary, but you will not give me access to the Seeds that will preserve my people? What kind of a rule is that?” the colonel asked.
“First of all, it is not for you to question my rules. You are in no position to be a judge about me or my standards. I have the right to determine who, when, or where I make my services available. I determine who I will work with and nobody else. Secondly, you are in no position to question the decision of the makers to destroy your world and its menfolk. By going to the black market you were already questioning their decision. And by continuing the existence of your kind behind their backs, you were incurring their wrath even more.”
“This is all crazy,” the colonel said. “What part of it is crazy?” the man asked. “Is it the undeniable facts I have just stated, or the fact that your intention right now is to shoot every one of us in this room and leave?”
“What? Who told you?” the colonel asked. Already, Estramos had raised his rifle and aimed it at the colonel.
“Don’t worry, Estramos. Just relax,” the man replied. “She does not stand a chance at all. She is desperate. But she fails to understand the kind of forces that are working against her.”
Estramos lowered his rifle, but the scowl was still visible on his face. The colonel just looked away. She was angry and confused because she did not know what else to do.
The man turned to Kristen. “You are going to be favoured on your quest to your destination. But it will not be without its own challenges.”
He turned to Estramos. “You should be content with your newfound freedom. That is more than enough to be grateful for, especially if you consider your initial predicament. You are going to get more work in the days to come.”
The man then turned to the colonel. “You will not know how much of the wrath of the makers you have already incurred. All your thoughts are just useless right now because you cannot succeed in carrying out any one of them. The humans are no longer yours to hold onto. You have no choice but to let them go.”
“I understand,” the colonel stated quietly. “At least, I think I do.” “You should. They have a different path to take than you do,” the man said. “For the humans, you are going to go on a path that is going to be challenging but noble.”
“What path is that?” Kristen asked. “I do not really know where we are right now. Not to talk of where we are going to go.”
“You will take this,” he said. And just then Kristen saw a small, flat device appear close to the man. It hovered for a while near his head, then it started to move away from the man until it came close to her.
“Take it,” the man repeated. Kristen reached out and collected the device. It was like a small phone with two screens on the front and back. Its edges were made of yellow with black stripes.
“When you get to your spaceship, you are going to connect your systems to this device, it will be compatible and will connect easily,” the man continued. “It is going to guide you to where you will be able to have an audience with the makers. After that, it will also lead you back. You must be warned that the device is valid for only one round trip. This means you cannot make use of it more than once. So you must endeavour to make the best of it on your way there and not to bungle your chances.”
He turned to the colonel once again. “I advise you to take your losses and disappointments in good faith. I repeat, let go of the humans entirely. Do not attempt to cause them any harm. If you do so, you will only have yourself to blame.”
“So that is it?” Estramos asked. “We are all going our separate ways then?” The man nodded. “You are all going to leave. For you, Estramos, you need not return to the Gualdions’ ship. You can find your way from here.”
“But what about me?” the colonel asked. “I really don’t know my way around this pla
ce.” “Do not bother yourself with that,” the man replied. “You are going to follow the spaceship of the humans to get out of the nebula. After that you will be able to find your way back to your world, while the humans will embark on their own journey to meet with the makers. That beacon I have just given to the humans will guide both of you out of the nebula to a safe spot from where each party can depart for their separate ways.”
“How do we get back to our ships without Estramos?” the colonel asked.
“I will guide you there,” the man replied. The colonel looked at Estramos. “Well, I guess this is it then? I really apologise for all this. I did not know it was going to turn out this way.”
Estramos nodded. “Too bad, isn’t it? Well, you have my number, so you can always reach me. Hopefully, I should not be getting locked up anytime soon. Maybe we can explore other avenues for mutual cooperation.”
The colonel looked at Kristen and shook her head. “Sometimes, life is just not fair. You are so damned lucky. But then again, it is just that—luck. And nothing else.”
“Or maybe it was our destiny,” Kristen added. “Whatever. You just got lucky, that is all.”
The man closed his eyes and lifted his head up. As expected, a bolt of light appeared to engulf all of them. Soon they all disappeared and the room was empty of anything except for the dim light in it.
Estramos appeared very close to a lamppost on a dusty old street. He looked around and checked his rifle. It was still loaded and very active.
He looked up at the skies and tried to read the stars. He was not too sure what to make of it. He spotted someone coming towards him. The person was wearing a hat, a shirt and trousers.
“Hello, mate,” Estramos said. “Where exactly is this? Am I still on the Gaius Nebula?” The person stopped and raised his face to look up at Estramos. As he did so, the person revealed his face to be that of a lizard, with scaly skin. Its eyes were brightred and a thin tongue flickered out of its mouth as it spoke.
The End Of The World Page 16