by Dan Haronian
Daio looked around and nodded to Dug. Dug waved everyone towards the door and left with them.
“I have a message for you from the Shepherd. Would you accept it?”
Wrinkles appeared on Daio forehead. “Yes, of course,” he said thinking the Shepherd could only be Sosi.
“This message is from the Shepherd to Daio Plaser the Shepherd of Naan. The message is: ‘The Shepherd is well. The herd arrived, but there were disruptions in the transportation. And as agreed, I will not return.’”
He watched Daio for a few seconds. “Do you want me to repeat the message?”
Daio thought for a moment. 'The herd arrived but there were disruptions.’ He had no doubt of the meaning.
“Do you want me to repeat the message?” asked the messenger again.
“No, there is no need.”
“Do you want to send a reply to the Shepherd?”
Daio let out a sigh. “No, no return message.”
The messenger bowed. “At your service,” he said. He turned around and walked to the door.
Daio waked to the window and watched him getting into the taxi. The driver ran back to his side and the car left.
Dug came back into the living room with questioning look face.
“It was from Sosi,” said Daio. “I think he got the information.”
“Where is he?”
“I don’t know. I think he is delayed.”
“Delayed?”
“I think he is having hard time leaving.”
Dug nodded. “So all the mess on the network was because of him after all.”
“That is my guess,” Daio mused.
He turned away from the window and sat in one of the armchairs.
“Is there something else?” asked Dug.
Daio lifted his eyebrows. “He said he is not returning as planned, but I don’t think he means it.”
“Maybe he is tired from the whole ordeal and is planning to leave.”
Daio nodded. “I don't think so. Why send a messenger if he plans to leave?"
"To let you know he is alive."
"I don't think so," said Daio and shook his head. "Maybe he is trying to deceive whoever is after him. They won't look for him here if this message falls into their hands somehow.”
“The message will not fall into anyone's hand. That is the whole idea of hiring messengers.”
“He'll return," said Daio. "Give it some time. I have no doubt he is carefully planning his way back."
At first I thought I must have taken the wrong shuttle, but no shuttle takes off and returns just like that. Even if there is some malfunction, zero gravity is the safest place to work on it.
Mampas came closer. Yellow filled the window completely. I didn't see any city or airport approaching, only bright yellow ground.
The shuttle suddenly vibrated made a fast maneuver that smashed me against the wall. A sharp pain shot through my head with a time delay and I started to feel dizzy. I crawled slowly to the corner of the hold, tied myself to the net, and wondered what had happened to my luck. The engines roared with a deafening noise. I covered my ears and put my head between my legs. A thud lifted me into the air when the shuttle touched the ground.
As soon as I heard the engine whistling I ran to the window. Endless yellow dunes stretched as far as I could see. The whistle gradually died and the pounding noises came again through the walls. Seconds passed and I heard people talking. I hid behind two large containers that were anchored to the floor. The door opened and people walked inside.
“There is no sense in hiding,” said someone. “Step out.”
The dialect surprised me more than the words themselves. The shuttle was huge, with many cargo holds. It should take a full day to find someone here. I stood up and walked out of my hiding place. I thought that making things difficult would only make them angry. A few people were at the entrance. Some others were already deeper inside the cargo hold. They started to come back when they noticed me.
An old man stepped towards me until he was close enough that I could smell his sweat.
“Who are you?” he asked.
I hesitated. I tried to remember the name on the third and last card I’d used but I was so excited that the name wouldn’t come. A feeling of discouragement came over me. I put my hand to my head and felt the open wound there, and the blood. I tried to think of another name, I felt completely disoriented. The old man grunted, lifted his hand and slapped my face. I flew backward. Some of the others caught me from behind, lifted me up, and pushed me forward.
“Who are you?” he shouted.
“Sosi… Sosi Plaser,” I answered my head spinning and my face glowing.
“What business do you have on Naan?”
The dizziness increased and I felt I was losing my balance.
“HHHMMM”, he grunted and looked at the people behind me. They immediately supported me.
“What do you have on Naan?” he asked again.
“Sick people,” I said.
“HHHMMM,” he grunted. “You are neither Mampasian nor Naanite,” he said decisively and approached me until his sour sweat filled my nose again. He looked at my eyes. “Seragonian,” he said without hesitation.
A chill caught me when I heard the word. He had discovered all of my secrets within only a few seconds. I looked at him, stunned.
“HHHMMM. Bring him in,” he said and stepped outside.
Two people held my arms and led me outside. I was led out of the shuttle. When my feet touched the sand a flaming heat hit me. I was pushed from beneath the shuttle and the heat and light grew. I could barely walk, but it was more due to the shock than from physical weakness. A huge hanger was nearby and I was pushed towards a door in its wall. Now I noticed there were people in yellow clothes, like small ants, running all over the place. Others stood in several places with weapons in their hands. Someone opened the door and the old man went inside. I was pushed in behind him. We entered a small room with a desk and a few chairs. There was another door in the room next to a metal cabinet. The cabinet door was bent as if someone had smashed it with his fist in anger.
“Check him,” said the old man.
They pushed me to the wall and spread my legs so far apart that I felt I was about to fall. Rough hands swept over my body and emptied my pockets onto the desk. Someone grabbed my arm and threw me into a chair.
“My name is Oziri Dos,” said the old man as he walked to the desk. “I am the commander of the Mampasian rebels.” He turned and looked at me. “You caused us a lot of trouble.” He nodded, looked at the desk, and ran his hand over the things they’d found in my pockets. He held the credit card and chuckled, next he moved his finger through a wrinkled tissue, a pen, and a miniature neck sensor, I thought I might find useful on Naan.
“I am sorry,” I said. “I didn't mean to cause you any harm.”
Clearly this was a lie. What I meant to say was that I hadn’t meant to get caught.
“You didn’t mean to, but you have," he shouted. “In the last few weeks we have lost dozens of our people.”
“I am sorry,” I said again.
“HHHMMM,” he grunted, “So are we,” he said in a venomous tone.
He sat in the chair behind the desk. “What do you have on Naan?” he asked.
“Nothing.”
“You did a lot of damage for nothing.”
“I am trying to help them,” I said.
“To help them,” he said. “Help them how?”
“I am looking for a cure for a disease.”
“HHHMMM. Do you have a family there?”
I didn’t say anything and he gave me a warning look.
“Two brothers,” I said.
“That's it? Two brothers?”
I nodded.
He waved the credit card. “What do you know about us?”
His face had suddenly become calm.
“What do I know about you?" I asked.
“Yes, I think if you had known more abo
ut us, maybe you wouldn't have done what you did.”
I was surprised by the turn in the conversation. I expected they would throw me into the fiery furnace or send me to die in the desert, which was the essentially the same thing. I was shocked when the old man started to talk to me as if he was a school principle scolding an errant child.
He pulled a small pamphlet from a shelf behind him and threw it on the desk in front of me.
I leaned forward and looked at the Mampasian words. “I don't read Mampasian well,” I said.
He grunted and glanced at one of his people. The man went to the cabinet, and after a quick search, he handed Oziri-Dos another pamphlet. Oziri-Dos looked at it for a few seconds and threw it on the desk. The Seragonian letters on the front made me feel sick.
“As you can see we have even reached Seragon,” he said. “These pamphlets were sent all over the galaxy to explain the facts and to recruit resources.”
I could hardly imagine how expensive it had been to spread the message in such a way. Then as if he could read my mind he said, “Because of people like you we could not spread the news through the network. We couldn't take the risk that devils like you would scramble it and hide the truth.”
I thought about the messenger services. These pamphlets were messengers on paper.
“I understand you broke into some secret site on Seragon,” he said. “What were you looking for?”
“I wasn't…”
“The network is filled with stories of this, and we know that it was you, so stop playing dumb,” he said and one of his people approached me.
“I was looking for a cure,” I hurried to say.
“HHHMMM. And did you find it?”
“I don't know.”
He grunted again. I thought his grunt meant, I hear, or I understand but then he said, “You are lying.”
“No, it's the truth,” I said.
“Why didn't you just ask for this information? Why try to get it in such a twisted way?"
I didn't understand what he meant by twisted but I understood the question. “I didn't want them to know,” I said.
“Why? You have a very noble mission. You are looking for a cure. Why didn’t you want them to know?” he asked.
I didn't answer. He nodded and pursed his lips. I thought he was about to explode. But like before, his lips suddenly relaxed, as if a hidden hand had injected him with a calming drug.
He took a deep breath. “We are all the descendants of Avidos, the father of Mampas. Mampas was taken away from us by vileness that arrived here from the other side of the galaxy. Parasites who were looking for a new home. Parasites from Bool and Paraday and from other places. They manipulated the Mampas economy so they could rise to the top. And you know what floats.”
I didn't answer and his face started to get red as if he’d just learned something from my silence.
“Those parasite politicians brought their shitting culture and took over our home. They said they would bring progress and advancement,” he said mockingly and gave me a glaring look. “They said they would cure Mampas’ economy."
I realized where he was going. “A plague kills children on Naan,” I said. “I am just trying to help them.”
“Them? Are they like the animals to you? Or maybe you mean “them” as if they are subhuman. Have they asked for your help? And what will be your fee? How much will they be forced to pay for this cure? A city? Two? Maybe the whole planet?”
“We don't want anything?” I said, but I was unsure of my answer. I thought of my brother's fine house and their political positions.
“The first group that arrived from Bool included only six couples. Six couples. That was how it all started. A dozen followed. You think there is a difference between six couples and three stinking brothers?”
I thought there was. I’d never thought about marriage or about having kids. If I ever married it would probably be to a local Naanite woman. Also, Naan would never need to worry about an invasion of colonists. If anyone ever followed us to the planet it would only be to throw us into jail.
He nodded, watching at my wondering face.
“Anyhow, this doesn't matter,” he said. “I don't really care what happens on Naan. You have caused us a great deal of trouble and now you will pay heavily for it.” He leaned forward and added, “And you will pay with the only coin you have. Your skills.” He stood up then walked over and sat on the table in front of me. “We are going to take back Mampas and you are going to help us.”
Now I understood why I was still alive. This lunatic thought I could be of use to him.
“Why do you need me if you can make a shuttle disappear from the skies of Mampas.”
He smiled.
"Why take the risk? You could have kidnapped me while I was still on the ground. I was close to the desert so many times. All that you needed was a car and a thug to push me in.”
“HHHMMM,” he grunted, and chuckled. “You are wondering how we found you,” he said. His smile disappeared and he nodded to one of his men. The man walked to the other door and went outside.
A noise came from the open door and she walked in. A shiver prickled my neck and my heart fell when I saw her. Her long black hair was tucked under her hat. I stared at her as if trying to convince myself it wasn’t the same girl.
“Meet my daughter, Su-Thor,” said Oziri-Dos. “Until recently she was a devoted messenger agent,” he added with a smile and went back to his seat.
She walked over to the table hesitantly and gave me a quick look.
“Your message arrived,” she said and Oziri-Dos’s face hardened.
“This villain is responsible for the deaths of dozens of our people!” he said. “He is alive only because I think we can make some use of him!” he added.
My eyes were locked on her. I was mad at her, and at myself, but I couldn't look away. She gave me a sharp look and lifted her head as if she was renouncing what she’s just said.
“I know, you are right,” she said.
Her father’s smile came back.
“But Naan is not Mampas. Naan is deserted and I don't believe that he is trying to take it over,” she finished.
“HHHMMM,” he grunted.
“What gave me away?” I asked.
Oziri-Dos rose from his chair. “Instead of asking questions you should be focusing on how to stay alive,” he said.
“What do you want me to do?” I asked trying to look away from her.
“I want you to break into the Occupier's security network and expose all of their agents.”
“Agents?” I asked and looked at him.
“There are spies among us,” he said. “We have eyes everywhere on Mampas and even inside the Occupier's government, but they too have spies.”
“But you were able to spot me,” I said wondering.
Oziri-Dos impatient grew.” This is not a negotiation. You will do it and that's that.”
“And then you will set me free?” I asked.
He grunted twice and then nodded.
I touched the wound on my head. The blood had started to coagulate and the hair around the gash was stuck to my head.
Oziri-Dos turned to one of his men. “Take him to the city tomorrow. Make sure he has what he needs.” He looked at me. “Tomorrow evening you will return to Mampas City and the day after that I want my list.”
“One day?” I asked.
“One day!” he said.
“It will be dangerous. I need some time to prepare.”
“We'll take care of the preparations. No Mampasian will lay a hand on you. When you entered the agency you walked into our trap. Since then we have watched your every move like invisible Flyeyes. We are everywhere. As you will soon know, killing you would require zero effort.”
Su-thor looked quickly at her father, then looked at me with fear in her eyes. Two men grabbed me by the shoulders and hoisted me to my feet. They led me into a room with a thin mattress. One of them tossed the pamphlet that had been tr
anslated into Seragonian onto the bed. They walked out and shut the door.
I sat on the mattress staring at the pamphlet on the bed beside me. A few moments later a man with disinfectant and a killer’s eyes said that Su-thor had asked him to clean my wound. He was not gentle and I screamed with pain.
He left. I heard the door lock click, then laid my head on the mattress and closed my eyes. I thought the door clicked again, but I was so disoriented that I wasn’t sure. The reek of stale sweat jolted me awake. I opened my eyes. Someone was only inches from my face.
“Don't move,” he said. He had a short, white beard and his face was burned from Dion’s rays. Someone else lay across my legs and stomach.
“Don't move if you want to live,” said the bearded man.
I heard something open, a small box. From the corner of my eye I saw a gun. I struggled to get free, but it was no use.
“If you move, it will only hurt more.”
I felt cold metal pushing against my left shoulder. There was a faint hammer click and a sharp pain shot through my arm. I wanted to writhe in pain but I couldn’t move. I heard the bearded man giggle.
“Relax it won't kill you. Not yet.”
I felt the cold metal again on my right arm. The pain that followed it made me almost lose consciousness. I screamed, but the effort had drained all of my remaining strength.
“Very good,” said the man on top of me. He felt my body relaxing as I lost all power to resist.
The gun pressed against my right thigh. This time when the pain hit me everything went black.
“Completely pointless,” I heard someone saying as I regained my consciousness. His voice didn't sound right. Twisted somehow. “Where could he escape to?” I heard and then everything went black again.
I was on the mattress when I woke up. My whole body ached so much that I couldn't even tell where the pain is coming from. An odd taste was in my mouth. I moved my lips and felt blood on them. I tried to reach a hand to my face but couldn't. I tasted the blood that ran from my nose.
The bearded man appeared in front of me.
“How do you feel?” he asked and smiled.
“I…” I mumbled.
“You are probably wondering what happened to you,” he said and nodded his head. “I didn't think you would survive.”