“You’re unwell,” said Denn with difficulty, almost at death’s door. “It sounds to me like Val was trying to help you.”
“Help me? No, the bastard wanted to make fun of me again. Giving Senlar a superior position once again. He enjoyed reminding me that he was his favourite... Where are they now?” he asked, as he raised his hands with his eyes wide open. It was clear to Denn that the man was a maniac. “...They’re both dead... thanks to you,” he said laughing, “and me? I’m still here. I’ll never forget the stupid look on the captain’s face as he died, or the sound that Senlar made when he bled like a pig on the floor.”
The memory of his now lost friend returned to give strength to Denn. Once again he managed to get up onto his feet in order to resume his battle with Neil Gobi. This time, the fight lasted much less time. Denn had no more energy left.
Neil took the knife that Denn had thrown before, and went up to him, lifting him up by the shirt and placing the tip of the blade on his neck. Wallace was coming round, but he was very badly injured, he could not even manage to say a word.
“It’s time,” said Neil. “Your insignificant life is about to end.”
“What is it you want?” asked Denn, dying.
“For now...? For now, I’ll live here. Well see later... I suppose I ought to thank you. This forsaken place could be the safest place that exists now... because you already know... when the Colonisers attack, the Solar System will be the wrong place to be.” Denn’s face filled with horror at that remark, and Neil sensed it. It filled him with satisfaction to torture people. He went back to showing his malignant smile. “Ah, yes! You were always right, Bornew. I already told you before; I always believed everything you said about them. But not because I’m a convergence. I don’t have any memory of another universe.”
“What are you talking about?”
“It was when I still belonged to The Galactic Union Army. A very important mission came from high command. So important, that Val himself deployed us to the planet Viluvae to finish with what supposedly was a rebel army. When we arrived there, we found everything they told us we would find. Thousands of men were preparing themselves for battle. They had weapons and ships. A secret operation that was developing, without anybody knowing a thing about it. The orders were clear: to destroy to the last rebel without asking questions. So we arrived, and we crushed them before they could even react. The few men who were left alive gave up immediately. We were supposed to destroy everything, there must not be anybody left alive, but Val was not the type of person who murdered defenceless people. The bastard didn’t obey the orders. He left them alive and interrogated them there. They weren’t rebels who were intending to rise up against The Union... It was an army that was preparing itself for the Coloniser attack.”
That comment left Denn thunderstruck. Amidst the pain he was suffering, he still retained the capacity to be surprised. What did all that mean? Who were those people?
“What? Who...? Who?”
“They were like you. Somehow, they found out that the Colonisers were planning to attack. They told The Galactic Union Government about it, and begged them to take the threat seriously, but somebody tried to shut them up, and that was when they decided to take the matter into their own hands. The army that was forming had a single purpose. To defend the human race from the Coloniser attack. Val took the men into custody and returned to the capital to ask for explanations. He was furious,” he said with a smile on his face, “they had ordered him to kill innocent people. Nobody wanted to answer his questions, so he left his post as colonel. They said that there were plans to kill him, but Val had many friends. He had to accept a post as captain of the station S4-07 in order to be kept under surveillance, otherwise he would be facing execution.”
“Senlar...? Did he know all of this?”
“The idiot Senlar never twigged about any of it. He had been sent somewhere else at the time of the mission, and Val never dared to tell the truth after his discharge. Everything was kept classified; no soldier that participated in the operation had permission to say anything... The Solar System and the primary systems are going to be attacked, and there’s nobody who can stop it. All your effort has been for nothing, Denn...”
“They have to be stopped... they have to...” he repeated, with effort.
“When everyone accepted you as their leader alongside Senlar, I could smell it in the air. It stank of corruption. It was contempt... You both had contempt for me. But now, I can only smell death. I like the smell of blood and of broken bones. It’s sweet... It’s time... Die!”
The feeling was very different. Something terrifying. It was his death. He had already sensed it before, but now it seemed more vivid, so much more so. All the pain, all of his thoughts, everything disappeared; everything except the agonizing feeling of the end. A few moments earlier, he had convinced himself that he was ready do tie, and in all honesty he was, but in that precise moment in which his life was about to end, he began feeling again the desire for life.
The knife travelled through the flesh until its bearer could sink it in no deeper. The blood began to flow before Denn’s stunned gaze. He had seen death in front of him for a second time, and like on the first occasion, he had survived. Qein had saved him by burying a knife into the arm of his enemy. The boy had been so quick that even though Neil had foreseen the attack, he could not avoid it.
Neil let go of Denn, letting him fall to the ground, and turned towards his most recent attacker. Filled with fury, and before the impotent gaze of those present, he drove the knife into the boy’s stomach.
“No!” screamed Denn, at witnessing such an atrocious event.
The boy staggered towards Denn, and collapsed down beside him.
“I’m sorry Denn, I broke my promise,” he said, before falling silent. Denn’s rage exploded at seeing the boy’s state. He moved him, and spoke to him, but he was not reacting. Neil, still furious at having been cut on his arm, kicked Denn in the face, moved him to one side, and raised the knife over Qein.
“Damned boy,” he said, and launched the dagger backwards with all the energy he was capable of.
With his final ounce of strength, Denn threw himself over the boy, receiving the dagger in the centre of his back. Neil, with chilling countenance, removed the knife from his back and got ready to finish the job. Bornew kicked out to get his enemy away and took Qein in his arms, with the intention of carrying him far away from there, but no matter how much he tried, he could not get up.
Neil was still not finished. He came back to stab the boy again. Denn had no other option. He raised his left hand, trying to avoid the knife doing any more damage to the boy.
The pain was unbearable. He had managed to avoid the boy ending up injured, but his hand was cut easily by the knife. And that was nothing. Neil launched stab after stab, striking Denn’s hand several times, until it was destroyed.
Denn was in trouble; his enemy was about to finish him. It was then that Wallace jumped onto Neil’s back, stopping the final thrust. They struggled for a moment, but he could not overpower him. Neil sank the knife repeatedly into Wallace’s stomach.
Upon seeing his friends’ sacrifice, Denn was driven to fury. He let go of the boy and threw himself over Neil, gripping him with his right hand and biting him on the neck. They both rolled on the ground in the battle’s finale, each giving the other their final blows.
Denn got Neil on his back and began to deliver punches to his face. Just when he was beginning to overpower him, Neil took Denn’s mutilated forearm and squeezed it hard, causing a terrible pain, and managing to turn the situation to his favour. Now it was Denn who was on his back, receiving the blows.
Whilst he was being hit, he felt as if he were about to lose consciousness; he had no more strength left in him. Neil wanted to finish once and for all. He took Denn by the neck with force, and began to asphyxiate him.
Denn felt that his life was being extinguished. It was being drained by Neil, who was squeezin
g his neck with all his strength. The air was escaping him, just as he had felt in his dream. He tried to break free, but he felt that he had already reached his limit. He was dying.
“It’s... useless, Bornew. Do you feel it? It’s your death!”
I’m going to die, thought Denn; in his head, there was total certainty of that, but at least he was going to take Neil with him. He looked to his side and saw the weapon that his enemy had fired at him in the beginning. He stretched his hand as much as he could, and at last he reached it.
Neil sensed it. His vision informed him of it. A second before it happened, he knew it. He had no time to say anything. Denn placed the pistol against Neil’s head and fired.
The long night died as the sun rose over the mountains. Denn was bleeding from everywhere. He looked at the boy, and at Wallace, a few metres away, and the tears began to run.
“Denn! Denn!” he heard in his agony. With a lot of difficulty, he raised his gaze and saw his friend.
“On... on... the ship...” Denn could barely speak, he had reached his limit. “The capsule... they...” he said, pointing to the fallen, just before falling silent.
It was C0-UN1; he had run at full speed up to the fort the second he gained consciousness. Now he was beside A Denn, although it was already too late. The battle had ended. Neil was dead, but the ultimate price had been paid.
For all the robot moved his friends, he received no response.
Chapter XXII
The Calm
Everything had been the product of one man’s errors. He had always known it, right up until the end. It was for that reason that he had done everything possible to put it right. A week had passed, and calmness was returning to the fort. However, nobody would be capable of forgetting all of the hardship they had suffered.
Olyr had taken care of everything. With the help of C0-UN1 and the rest of the community, they had made use of the reactors that Denn had brought from the station. Now the fort would have energy again. All the systems were working, and the security had been restored.
Those who had been injured in the beasts’ attack had been abandoned by Neil. Deprived of treatment, many had died. Those who remained alive had managed to be healed thanks to the medical capsule, also brought from the station.
C0-UN1 had told the whole truth to the people, without omitting a single detail. There was no reason to hide anything else. Many had felt annoyance at the station’s hijacking, but they understood that Denn had never had any intention of hurting them. So much so, that he had even given his final breath to free them from Neil. ‘We all make mistakes,’ Olyr had said to a few survivors who decided to forget the past and forgive.
That morning everybody left the fort. They had not had the opportunity to give a place of rest to the fallen. The cemetery had grown, but they trusted that they would not see another death in a long time. Not if they gave the best of themselves.
Every one of them visited the grave of their loved ones, paying their final respects. Olyr, the robot, and Wallace, who was barely beginning to recover from his injuries after a long day in the medical capsule, looked with nostalgia at the two graves of two great people. They would always remember them with affection.
“Are you feeling better?” Olyr asked Wallace.
“This is nothing,” boasted Wallace.
“That grimace of pain does nothing to make your comment very convincing. And that stance ...”
“Does it look like I’m bad, C0?” asked Wallace, standing up as straight as he could, trying to look natural.
“You look terrible,” answered the robot. “Do you want me to carry you?” he asked, causing Olyr and Wallace to start laughing.
“I can’t laugh,” said Wallace, doubling up. “Everything hurts.”
“Where can they be?” asked Olyr.
“They said they’d go and fetch a few flowers.
“I want to go to that shelter, C0... You know, the one the Colonisers built. Olyr and I can do a lot with what we might find there. There must be machines we could use.”
“Of course, Wallace. As soon as you’re better, I’ll take you.”
“But I’m fine.”
“We’re not in a rush, Wallace,” intervened Olyr. “You ought to take it easy.”
“I suppose you’re right. It’s just that it’s fascinating, don’t you think? I want to see what they did there. Who knows what we could potentially find. With the tools that could be there, we could construct a converter for one of the reactors that Denn brought from the station. We could use it for the ship they found.”
“That would be good,” said the robot. “I don’t ever want to have to hand over my reactor ever again. If I hadn’t been unconscious, I would have been able to...”
“You know, I still don’t know why you came back like that,” noted Olyr. “It’s strange, robots are supposed to be made to stop functioning as soon as their reactor is removed.”
“I know. Denn told me. Maybe they made me differently.”
“It’s logical to think so,” said Wallace, “but it doesn’t explain why it took you time to come back. If the reactor was in its place, you should have reacted instantly.”
“I ask myself the same thing too... Before Denn took my reactor, he explained to me everything that could happen; I could not come back, or I could lose all of my memories. I was very afraid, but it was the only thing we could do. Things did not turn out in the best way, but I believe that I am fortunate to not have lost my memories. It would be very sad if I forgot all of you.”
“If you forgot us, how would you know?” said Olyr.
“Even so, it would be very sad.”
“And how do you know you didn’t forget anything?” asked Wallace.
“I believe I remember everything. When Denn activated me on Earth, when we arrived on the station. The time we travelled in space, and the day we arrived on this planet. I remember all of you.”
“I’m happy about that, C0... Look! Here they come.”
The robot turned his gaze, and could see his friends approaching. In his hands he was carrying a bunch of the most beautiful flowers they could find. They were still not completely recuperated. The boy still felt pain in his wound, but nothing was going to stop him from being there that morning. The flowers that Qein was carrying were specifically for the grave of his beloved sister, without forgetting to put a few on the grave to the side. Senlar’s grave.
Denn brought flowers for both of them too. He was in a lot of pain, he had injuries all over his body; so much so, that his friends thought it was a total miracle that he was still alive. He walked, with the flowers, up to the graves, and with his working hand he placed them with affection on the resting place of both.
“I’ll take good care of him,” he said in a low voice, as he left the flowers on Dani’s grave. He stood up and left the boy to arrange them all around.
He took a few steps back and joined Olyr, Wallace, and the robot.
“He’s an amazing boy,” said Olyr to Denn quietly.
“He is! He would only break a promise if it meant saving a friend.”
They looked in silence for a moment without saying anything, bidding farewell to those who were no longer there.
“It’s a beautiful day,” said Denn.
“It really is,” said the robot.
“How are you feeling, Wallace?” asked Denn.
“Why does everyone keep asking that? Do I not look all right or something?”
“You look fine, friend,” said Denn, with a warm smile.
“What about you, Denn?” asked Olyr.
“I’m fine,” he assured, and moved what was left of his arm, covered by the sling, as if to say that his injuries were of no importance to him.
“That medical capsule you brought is somewhat old,” claimed Wallace, “but it can restore your forearm and hand. It will take a few months, however... It’s a shame that the more modern one was destroyed. With that one, it would have taken much less time.”
“A couple of months inside the capsule?”
“That’ll be nothing to you,” said Wallace.
“I don’t have time to sleep. We have to build a converter for the reactor, and a jump system for the ship. Just like the Colonisers did.”
“But if you go untreated, you won’t recover your hand,” prompted Wallace, worried.
“Don’t worry. I have something in mind.”
Wallace was silent, there was no point opposing him. He had proven to be stubborn when he set his mind to doing something.
“If we’re going to work so hard in it, perhaps you should give a name to the ship,” said Olyr.
“I’ve already given some thought to it,” replied Denn. “I’ll call it the ValSenlar.”
The boy finished arranging the flowers and stood up, taking the robot’s hand.
“What do you think, C0?” he asked, showing his sweet smile.
“It’s very beautiful, Qein,” answered the robot.
“Really?”
“Absolutely.”
“Denn, do you think Dani would have liked it?”
“It’s perfect, boy,” he said, causing Qein to smile in satisfaction.
“When are we going to start with the training, Denn?” asked Qein.
“Soon. When you’re completely recovered.”
“But I’m really okay,” he said, patting his wound.
“I know, boy. You’re very strong.”
“I’m serious,” he said, with an expression of irritation.
“Me too, Qein,” replied Denn with a smile. “Now go and help bring more flowers.”
“We’ll go too,” said Olyr, taking Wallace’s hand, who blushed instantly. “Come on, Qein.”
Denn and the robot were left alone, looking at the graves of their friends, whilst the others went.
“You’re going to train Qein?” asked the robot.
“I promised him.”
“Do you think it’s a good idea?”
“He’s a very strong boy. When he saved my life, he was so fast that not even Neil could dodge him. If he becomes stronger, he’ll be able to defend himself when we’re not around.”
Convergence: Genesis Page 31