A Journey Into Unknown

by Aditya Kumar

  But he started thinking, ‘in my case… when I first fought with them… how they didn’t able to notice about presence of me. Also… their drone wasn’t operational. Who else is helping me here?’

  So, the war had been initiated. Mark just had to start. He chose to end Quaiak from their root. The suitable choice would be the location where they keep people... an unknown and mysterious place hidden from outside world. The only way to go there is pass through an appropriate wormhole. He needed an alliance… a group of powerful people to help him in this war. He contacted everyone whom he had come to know in past few months. They all were afraid and not quite sure to come with him.

  But, they hadn't any moral choice. It was like now or never. Many of them wanted revenge and many others, to protect them self in upcoming frightening future, when everyone's world will be destroyed by these insane Quaiak. Many of them had suffered the terrible death of their own people and many are in line. Because, Quaiak have not any kind of intention to be kind or understand the meaning of life. They were insane, they are, and they always will be.

  So, everyone came on the call of Mark. They all came there... afraid, but yet they are. Everyone knows, how much insane Quaiak are and what would be the consequences in going on war with them. Their fate will be in Quaiak's hand forever. Quaiak used to enslave planets, who are not even related to them in any way. They all were afraid and thinking that what Quaiak will do to them, if they lose the war. They needed a huge motivation. But, Mark and his alliance, all are ready to end this for today, forever despite of being afraid.

  Mark came into lead, "We are about to go in war with most powerful and most insane creature which had already shown their ability and nature to many worlds that how insane and cruel a life-form can be to other life-form. Today, we all must make sure that humanity will survive again in the shadow of truth and light. We will see a world where dream of people will be love, and not death. We need to establish a society to end all the cruelty and bring justice to everyone. We will make them suffer for everything… they took away from us. We will make them pay for everything."

  They have thought that after the end of Quaiak, their universe will become heaven. They all could lose themselves in the happy dream, for this particular moment. They were thinking all the happy endings, then suddenly they saw Quaiak's space ship which was coming back to that mentioned place from any planet. It was time. They all were ready. They attacked on their ship from every direction. A single ship of Quaiak consisting only 10 of them, couldn't able to fight against everyone and with Mark making their chances of win, very less. Five of them were killed in war, but rest 5 were taken alive. After this war, they had one ship, and all the prisoners from that ship were rescued and kept safe to their place for time-being.

  They had a ship but didn't know how to open the wormhole. To face this moment only, they had kept 5 Quaiak alive, who have to tell them the way to ensure their safe passage on Quaiak's planet. All alive were brought to Mark. There wasn't any terror in their eye. Perhaps, they were trained soldier who wasn't afraid to death.

  "My place... Hahahahaha .... We call that Xanser and that is beyond your reach. You cannot reach there ever. You can kill us. Do you really think death frightens us? We have suffered worse than what you can imagine," one of Quaiak prisoner, Qeok told.

  "Wow, so you are not going to tell me where you live," Acra was also there.

  "We live in Xanser." Qeok said making funny smile on their face.

  "Do you think this is funny. When I will burn all of you alive, you will understand what is pain," Glouco shouted.

  "Oooo.... Fire... You are going to make my day. I haven't played with fire today," other Quaiak named Qeop told making a sarcastic smile.

  "They are not here to tell anything. Let's burn and kill them. We will find a way," Acra said.

  "What about just burn and suffer them as a torture and not to kill them," A sound came tearing all the quietness and running with the power of confidence. It was the sound came from tongue of Mark.

  "What do you mean?" This was beyond understanding of any of them.

  "What do you mean ....," And there was fear in Quaiak's sound. One of Quaiak told this being afraid, but others were unfamiliar to this and silent and seemed not to care.

  "This is my one of power which Xena made me realize. They all will tell everything what we want," This is Mark.

  No one agreed to tell anything. One tried to tell, but other refused, being unfamiliar with threat of Mark.

  And then they all were suffering the intolerable pain of fire coming from Mark's mouth.

  "So, that's all. You can do this only." All the Quaiak there, was feeling tormented but their leader told this showing his courage. He added, "My name is Qekori. We have already suffered worse than this. You can't break us by this. Please ...". He seemed broken. He was crying then and told, "There is someone worse here to tear the whole universe. Spread the chaos everywhere for something."

  "Who are they. What they want from you and everyone else," Mark asked.

  "I don't know," Qekori told.

  "He is just making stuffs and wasting our time. We should do what we are supposed to," Amelia advised to Mark.

  "Yeah. You are right." Mark told, and then ordered Quaiak, "Just do that you know. Open the wormhole."

  Now, Quaiak had no choice. They have to do everything, that they are asked to do. They can't tolerate any more pain.

  They moved towards there ship to manually rupture the space-time continuum and open a wormhole to reach Xanser. Mark had thought that they will use many trips and even through only one space ship, they all will reach Xanser and attack on them. But even before they could open wormhole, one more ship arrived. This ship was much larger and equipped with many more dangerous weapons. Mark couldn’t have seen, shattering of his ultimate plan.

  “Our leader wants to meet you, Mark,” one of Quaiak name Quip came out of the ship and told this pointing towards Mark, “We don’t want to kill every one of you. Just surrender everyone and give Mark to me. We will leave you here safe… otherwise…” Quip activated his drone and the shield on ship.

  But that was more than enough for Mark to get out of control. Then, everybody saw the result of Mark’s anger. He used his energy blast one by one… and in four shot, their all four drones get destroyed. Then, it was the time for Quip and other Quaiak. Quip went into his ship out of fear and ordered other to come in Mark’s path. But they weren’t powerful enough. Mark went forward… by killing them one by one. Then he moved for Quip… towards his ship.

  But, before Mark could reach to Quip, he felt attack from somewhere else. He moved in that direction and saw one more ship. He started attacking on that ship continuously and despite of being shield active, he burnt of whole ship killing everyone into it. But, in that one moment only, he saw many of their spaceship coming from all the direction. He felt surrounded from every side. It wouldn’t take him much time to think that he was in trap.

  Quip came out from his ship again… on seeing the help. He told, “When you found our ship log… you thought that you came one step forward… You were wrong. That was a trap for you.”

  Mark asked, “Why are you doing that much for me… You even don’t know me.”

  “Really… You still think so… after everything. Olen… did something strike in your mind after listening to this name,” Mark saw towards him in disbelief, but Quip continued, “We first came to know about you when you bypassed the frequency of that device in Olen’s mind. From then we kept an eye on you. We saw that you were close to Emily. That’s why we took her but made the drones of ship inactive… so that you could come inside… because we wanted to know you… and this time we placed that log file there, so you could find that and come before us… where we would be waiting of you. Now, you need to come with us…”

  “You took Emily because of me…” Mark said in anger, but in very low voice.

  “What,” there was clear sign of fear on Quip’s face.
>
  “You took Emily because of me…” Mark shouted.

  “Listen… we can settle this… just come with us…” Quip said, but he was still scared.

  “Time for talk is over…,” Mark shouted, and then he took the rocks spread there and started using its energy one by one destroying every ship coming in his way, but they were too many.

  Quip understood very soon that with any technology, they can’t face Mark in space. So, he told others to go before everyone else… instead of Mark. They were too many and Mark alone couldn’t face them. Others like Acra, Glouco, Amelia etc and their warriors… they also fought bravely… but they neither had strength nor ability to fight them. Their warrior was getting killed, and they came on the verge of defeat.

  “See on your team… Don’t you even care for other’s life… You have only two choices… Either you continue fighting and we will kill everyone, or you stop now… come with us and we will leave everyone alive.

  Mark… who was busy in destroying them… heard to Quip… and saw around him… Quip was right, and Mark wasn’t strong enough to see everyone dying. He surrendered to save everyone’s life.

  They tied Mark’s hand behind him. With hand tied with neutron star laser light, he was unable to use his energy blast. He was tied so firmly, that he couldn’t see his hands. He was bound to stay there. They opened a wormhole and their ship moved forward to Xanser. Mark closed his eyes… and then he realized that he was able to see his whole body… he could see his hand. Behind him there was a metal wall and he got one shot to use his energy blast, so that it would reflect from metal wall and untie his hands.

  He got the way the untie him. But one wrong aim and reflected energy blast could hit him and injured him. But their ship was approaching to Xanser and he had to take that risk. And so, on seeing that there is no other way around… he used his energy blast and so accurately that hit the metal wall and that reflected electron beam collided exactly to that laser beam… untying his hand. As soon as he got free… he destroyed the ship… killed everyone within it… and flied away destroying the ship. Other ship saw him… they even attacked on him… but this time there wasn’t any string on him… he destroyed all the ship and landed on Xanser alone. Filled up with confidence, he thought that he would kill all the Quaiak today and will free all the prisoners.

  ◆◆◆

  CHAPTER 13

  Mystery Reveale

  d

  Finally, Mark is ready to see all the loop holes and will try to fit them together to make a complete picture. He is ready to know, whatever may be hidden. He got courage to face them alone. No one knows, what he will do next. Is he ready to fight, or will he just come back with some information which can be useful? Will he feel scared, when he would be surrounded by those insane creature… on their planet, or will he feel angry for everything they did? Only, time can provide the answer of these things.

  Mark reached there. That area seemed to be empty and he could only see green light coming from there. He moved forward. Picture started getting clear in front of his eye. Xanser was not a planet but this was a cluster of planets very well arranged and fully equipped to do everything with prisoners. He saw an Earthling (inhabitant of Earth). He was a man, scared and tied firmly in the broad daylight in front of everyone. Mark saw that all his nails were taken out and he was bleeding. Mark felt tear in his eyes. How can someone suffer such a huge physical pain and tormented in front of everyone.

  Mark saw how they put his both hand on chair and tied with the handle of chair and started striking clincher shaped object into his hand. He cried in pain and agony. It is unbearable to anyone. But rest is yet to come. Whatever next they did to him… Mark didn't have courage to watch. That person was suffering, and Mark was hidden there… still thinking about their powers on their own planet. But now it is too late to help him.

  Then he saw they took out another one... this time a girl. Terrified face of that girl was trying to say a lot to Mark. This made him memorize the terrified face of Emily when they had taken her in the ship. He recalled a fact from history book which could describes the condition of girl seven or eight thousand years ago. Also, today on his planet, they respect girls. He couldn't believe on his eyes, seeing the whole incident with his own eyes. How someone can be that much insane.

  They first tied her. And perhaps they were about to do the same thing. He recalled his oath that he had taken to save everyone. He was the one who stopped Acra to destroy the whole planet that was enslaved by Quaiak. But until then, he had no idea of reality. But what today he saw, was a lot for him. He made everyone believe that he will do everything to stop them. But, was he doing everything? He was afraid of his misery, but what he saw today is far beyond all that. He memorized everyone, that he knew and was taken away by Quaiak... he tried to imagine, what Quaiak would have done with them. That was too much for him.

  He could not able to stand there quiet. He came in front of them with burning rage in his eye. He promised himself that today, he will end everything. He started the war. Quaiak had very little to do in front of his anger. He killed everyone there. He saw a hope and happiness in girl's eye. She might have thought that she is safe now. He saw how she was breathing heavily out of fear. But, when he saw that terror was disappearing from her eye, he felt a little bit relief. But that was for a moment only.

  He forgot that he was in Xanser and not in space, where he killed them. He forgot that this is their home and it will not be easy for him to defeat them. It just felt to him that he succeeded in killing them, but they all became alive. Actually, they were alive as Xanser was protected from death using death shield. But to Mark's surprise, they all were healed instantly and more started to come there.

  Mark felt himself surrounded from all direction. He felt unable to fight from everyone at once. But suddenly a mysterious girl appeared there. She told her name as Xeuca and casted some mysterious lunatic spell and this time, they all really died. Her dress and looks pointed that she is a witch. Her long red hair and mysterious and awkward shaped stick was giving her a furious look.

  Mark was thinking that how she killed them against the effect of death shield. He asked her, but she refused to tell. But Mark saw some powerful Quaiak there with immensely powerful weapon and they started to attack on them. That mysterious girl casted spell again but this time in vain. Mark started to fight. He is too fast and powerful, but they were immortal here, and it was impossible to defeat them on Xanser. Also, Mark felt there is no way to run away.

  Mark suddenly realized… someone was watching this fight from far away. He came near to Mark and Xeuca. Everybody stopped and bowed their head out of respect in front of him… looked like he was chief of whole Xanser. Mark was ready to accept his death… actually… was ready for getting captured. But to his surprise, he greeted Mark. He introduced himself as Queon. He was the head of this whole Xanser cluster and he told Mark to go away. Everyone accepted the order. He even allowed Mark to take the girl with them and even healed the one who was tormented earlier. When Mark was going out, he listened them talking.

  "Why did you allow to leave them? Do you even know, what that inter dimensional being will do if he finds out," one of Quaiak leaders asked Queon.

  "Because, we are in final war. Only Mark can help us and save this whole universe," Queon said.

  “Then, why didn’t you stopped him… you could talk to him,” he said.

  “Because… what Mark saw here… after this he wasn’t ready to talk,” Queon replied.

  Mark didn't understand anything. To whom, even Quaiak is afraid of. He asked this to Xeuca. She told, "I know Quaiak much better than anyone else does. Quaiak are not our enemy or bad species. They are just a victim of something else. His name is Acouch. Maybe Xena would have told you something."

  “How do you know Xena,” Mark asked.

  “He is an old friend of mine. It’s a long story… maybe I will tell you some other time,” she added, “But… didn’t Xena told you about Quaiak.�
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  Mark said, “He was trying to… but…”

  “But what,” Xeuca interrupted in middle.

  Mark replied, “He was captured by someone.”

  Xeuca said, “This had to happen one day.”

  “What had to happen,” Mark asked.

  “Maybe some other time,” she ignored his question.

  Xena had told Mark about this but he didn't choose to believe Xena then. So, Mark got the name of master evil behind all this. But for now, Mark wanted to know everything about Quaiak… about what had happened with them. What Acouch did to them and what he really wants. In these thoughts, Mark returned from Xanser. When they came back, Acra and all others were surprised and told him that he was gone for only few minutes.

  Xeuca started telling, "Every mystery gets added at some particular point where line from all the directions meet. No matter, how large this universe looks, it is very small when seen from someone else's perspective. Someone always tries to play with everything like a game. I don't know actually… who are they? What are their intention or purpose? What they want from us and why they are doing this? May be, we are very smaller life-form compare to them. They should teach the things to us, but instead they liked to play with us. Maybe there is chances that they had some purpose, who knows? But they want to spread chaos and quietness of death."

  She added, "They are not like us. They have not human form. They are something else and before their arrival, they send someone to bring peace to the universe by fear and death. This time, Acouch have taken this responsibility. But doing all this by a single person, that would be a tedious job. So, he tortured Quaiak to make them ready for this mission. Mission to make people suffer. Mission not to make death tolerable only, but a dream. Acouch needed some species which are powerful enough to make their enemy resistant. So, he tortured Quaiak and make them agreed for this mission. Quaiak didn't have choice and they had to do it. I know only this. Rest things can only be told by Queon, leader of Quaiak."