by Aditya Kumar
“You know that you can’t do this alone,” Mark said.
“Yeah… I know. That’s why all Quaiak will go with me,” Queon said.
Mark said, “But then your species will be extinct forever.”
“What we did by being alive… just became the reason of pain for everyone. Remember, I once told you to right our wrongs… but today, we have the chance to right our wrongs,” Queon said and Mark didn’t have anything to argue.
Queon told Xeuca, “You and Mark go away from the range of black hole and take down the shield that is saving all of us from black hole’s gravity.”
Xeuca saw towards Mark. Mark said, “We will not get another chance. We will have to do this right now… We don’t have choice.”
Then both of them flew away from black hole’s gravity range and Xeuca took down the shield. This didn’t only sucked Quaiaks, but also that black hole sucked the whole Xanser cluster within it.
Acouch was trying to come out… but as he saw everything coming towards him. Queon and others pushed him into black hole. He couldn’t able to resist at that very moment. Now coming out of black hole was beyond his capability. Mark wasn’t ready to miss the moment, when Acouch cried before death. He and Xeuca saw the terror in his eye just before his head got crushed in the gravity of black hole and he ultimately died despite of saying himself immortal.
Audio Clip ends
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CHAPTER 16
Threat to Future
Last page of Diary
This was the moment worthy to remember for everyone. Everything started getting better. Now, people of my planet also live in peace. Just I am not sure if they know me. Love is spread everywhere even in space. When I first met with Quaiak, I thought that they were always insane and will never change, but I was wrong. They kept their promise and gave their life to save everyone else. They were right… perhaps their strategy was right too.
When Acouch offered all this to them, if they would have rejected the offer… then for all those thousands of years, they would be suffering from his undying fire and Acouch definitely would have achieved their goal… maybe by using other civilization. Then also fate of other would be same or maybe even worse because Quaiak tried to help me from starting… other may have not done that. Now, I know the meaning of patience. Maybe Queon would be my idol… if I will talk about the patience.
“Still the words of Queon echoes in my ear when he said, ‘Till now, I have always done, what Acouch wanted me to do. It hurt me each and every moment… with the suffering of every individual. But what else I could have done. Xanser was a prison for me, from where I was unable to escape. I wanted to die… I wanted to kill myself from thousands of years, but I was forced to live in Xanser. All the Quaiaks, who was there when we first encounter Acouch, were forced to live in Xanser and only our children were allowed to go on other planets on the order of ours. I don’t know how they feel about all this, but I… I want to die… very badly… but not without any purpose… I will die, but I will be the reason of Acouch death… this is my only dream.’ These things he said to me when I returned on Xanser after completing unsuccessful mission to make Cloukon in our side and he kept his word. I didn’t believe on him then, but I do now. I always hated him, but he was right. He always knew what he was doing and never forgot who he was. He always believed that one day light will eradicate all the darkness and now I believe this too.” I said these words when we all were celebrating our victory and talking about the noble sacrifice of Quaiak.
Whatever may have happened… but end went well, and we saved the whole long day. It is the end of today's war and it is the time to celebrate. I told Xeuca to go everywhere which were either in capture of them or living in fear that at any moment they will come to them. Xeuca agreed with me and went everywhere to spread this news. After all this, I went to Earth to meet my own people. For them, this time is like living in heaven. I haven't disclosed my identity to them and I believe that as far as they will live away from all this, they will be safer. By the way, it wouldn't be of any meaning to tell them everything that there is more threat to come. They just got their life back and this is their right to live it at its best.
It is not the end, but we won this war. No-one knows what will happen next but whatever will happen, we will be ready. I found truth in Acouch's voice when he was telling about his world and some dangerous creature. I don't know who or what are they. His voice still scares me. But I know many things, now. Also, I need to find Xena. I don't know where he got trapped or who are those creatures from which he was hiding and even scared to tell me about them. But I remember when he said that I can help him.
I need to know my father’s mystery and I also want to see my mother… I don’t know who is she… but she also has secrets like my father as my father said… and I believe that one day I will find her. How Xeuca and my father David Raynson aka Trepon knew each-other. How Trepon saved me and where I was in complete white light… I don’t know anything. But I know that a war is coming, and I will need all the help that I can get. I will need more and powerful alliance this time to fight with whatever is coming. I will remain prepared this time. That's why I have prepared this diary with all the thoughts that I still have of this mission.
And how I can forget about Emily? I need her, and I will search her at any cost. I asked Xeuca if she can do anything, but she told, “there is nothing to do.” Suddenly, an idea came in my mind. I went to Xeuca and asked, “Can you measure her strength?”
She was surprised, “Why? There is no reason to…”
I interrupted, “At least I will be sure, that she is still in this universe.”
Then she agreed to check her strength and said it will take time to search for an individual whom she doesn’t know very well. She took her image and every required information from my mind and said to come after some time.
I went to her after some time and she was there with that measuring scale. Her eyes was large in shock and she was continuously staring towards that scale. I could tell from her face that something is wrong. I went close and asked her. She showed me the result. It was 97.78 and it must be scary. I told her to check again as there must be some fault. She refused that there can be any fault in machine but checked again and the result was same. I started thinking about Emily, then only her question came, “What did you hit her with?” I lost somewhere and came up to my sense with her question and said, “What?” She repeated the question. I didn’t have any answer. I just nodded my head, smiled and said, “Love.”
Right now, I am in Canyon cave because Xena told me to come. I was not wrong about another person living in his cave. But this time he had to come outside to greet me in absence of Xena. The mysterious person came in light. He told me that his name is Xoguar and he is the member of an ancient acolyte group and he can see all the thing that is happening right now, but with some exception. Yet, he is afraid and lives in dark. He told me that perhaps, now I am ready to fight with the upcoming threat. He helped me in preparing the audio clip. But in the meantime, I need to add some more alliance and so I am leaving this diary and audio clip here. If you will find this diary and believe the things written here, you can come to Canyon cave. I will be waiting...
End of Diary
"So, this was all the thing that describes him. So, what should we do now? Should we go to meet him and discuss the threats... What do you suggest, Aleina," chief leader of space council Zxon asked Aleina.
"I always believed in his work and I think I still believe in him. I think, we should go for him," Aleina said.
"Allright, take your team and go to meet him," Zxon said.
Aleina went outside smiling.
"How much quietness is everywhere. Everything seems good. We won the war. Everything is in the peace," Mark is talking to Xoguar in Canyon cave.
"Perhaps, this is the peace before coming storm," Xoguar said in scarier voice.
They were talking. Then they heard that someone is on the door
. They came outside.
"Hello, my name is Aleina and I have your diary. We may need your help," Aleina was there with three more members of space council.
Mark told, "Come on in. We need to discuss many things."
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PART 2
CHAPTER 17
Hope Within Dark
Pain is not a simple thing... never was. It determines what you are. It realizes you, your true self. Even by breaking, it makes you strong. But it provides you opportunity to choose for yourself... for your fate and destiny. You can ignore it, but what good it can do when pain can make you learn a lot and you will not want to learn. It makes you understand the meaning of life that you are gifted with.
In every moment, we encounter struggle which either makes us strong or breaks us. If we get able to keep our-self together and go with former one, it adds value to our life. It makes us learn to be united, think positive and go against problem to make the thing happen that we want to happen. However, struggle forces us to do something that we don't want, to take some decision for which we do not remains ready at that moment. But later, we realize that how much important that moment was.
When we get succeed, then we really miss that moment when our future was uncertain... when we were afraid that what more problem, time will bring and will we able to face that? But it's not about thinking about the problem that future may bring... it is about living in present and keep our-self ready to face current problem. We just need to think that if we solve this problem, then our future will be bright. In some cases, this may not even close to reality, but these kind of thought at least provides a motivation to conquer the present and helps to prepare strong foundation to fight against the threat of future.
But, if we unfortunately go with later one, it holds us back. Without the actual result, we give up and accept our defeat... and when our mind is not able to tolerate the pain of defeat, it creates a new world of fantasy for itself where we can rule everything. In this case we simply accept whatever thing is written in our destiny and we do not feel like challenging against bad things.
Life of Mark is also not different than many other at some extent. He might have superpowers, but he still is human. He has his own weakness, which may cause a defeat to him and to all the humanity. All the humanity still sees towards him to maintain the peace that they have right now... the peace that they gained after death of Acouch. Everyone may think that this is the thing they wanted from beginning... they may have a moment of relief, but very few knows that this peace is not permanent.
Mark spent 18 years of his childhood in that hell where anybody could have given anything to acquire death. But some mysterious thing led him to this moment, where he will be remembered to provide the redemption to everyone... many one can consider him as a God. Yet those mysterious things may haunt him. It always can make him to brainstorm that what is hidden? Why everyone was afraid to tell the reality or why they thought that he is not ready... what he will have to do to be ready to know the fact? These types of question will always keep floating in his mind until he would be able to know the answers. He may have learnt the lesson... not to know much, but curiosity is still in his blood.
But, maybe now is the good time to make his curiosity awake again. He has covered his first milestone. Now, he is a known face. Everyone knows about him. They trust him. They believe that he has got the strength and courage to fight any one who may cause problem for survival of humanity. Now, he can get any kind of support from powerful civilization in the time of need. Earlier, Cloukon made fun of him... considered him as his playing object... and when they got tired of playing, they ordered to kill him. But this may not happen anymore because he proved his bravery at the time when it was needed the most.
But, only very few of them know that war hasn't ended yet and they need to be ready to face the upcoming challenges which may be much more dangerous than what they faced earlier. Their speculation may predict the intensity of threat, but who are they or maybe what are they... this is an important question. 'What are they...' because they don't know about nature of threat... they can't even predict it. Member of space council are there... and their own story is making the air more frightening.
Aleina is a member of that space council whose aim is to protect all the life form. But, when the member of space council read about the diary of Mark, they couldn't believe that it may have happened that was described in diary. But they believed on Mark's diary and Xoguar's audio tape, because they had tested that with truth detector. Moreover, she believed on Mark and it forced them to try their last hope in order to keep the hope survived in the midst of dark.
They feared of losing everything with the upcoming threat, but they found a small candle trying to eradicate the dark... in the form of Mark. They believed on him, because he fought selflessly for the survival of humanity. He didn't care about himself, but he cared for others. He thought for more, that they never tried to think. Till now, they just saved life... but they didn't realize that it is not the life that requires saving, but it is the hope... and Mark showed them the way to save the hope.
Moreover, they understood with the recent attack that in near future, nothing will be same as it is. They understood what people might have faced, but they knew only one thing that if the invasion of Acouch was to enslave the whole universe, then how come they didn't able to know about Acouch. Acouch must have tricked Quaiak and Mark by making them believe this that the invasion is about to enslave the whole universe... or there may be other reason. The existence of space council served only one purpose... to make people live and Acouch did the same thing.
Acouch took the hope from people, but never tried to take their lives. After all the suffering, he just gave them the freedom to die of obvious mortality nature... and so, it never showed their concentration towards that threat. But now they understand that living is not the whole picture... how they live is more important. 'They are happy' is more important than 'they are not dead'... now they know, just because of Mark's story and this is one of most important reason that they allowed Aleina to go in search of Mark.
And now Aleina is there... in Canyon cave... came to believe that there is still chance left. There is still time and they can make it happen... together. She came to prove that hope can't be eradicated. There is still hope... Darkness around them laughs... tries to make the situation scarier. But hope survived till now facing the darkness, and it will also survive in future. It doesn't matter how much dangerous upcoming invasion is, but hope will live forever... maybe under the water... maybe inside the fire... maybe in empty space... there can be hope within dark.
Darkness can make the bravest of us to be afraid. It can make them to put them on knee and can force them to do anything, but it can never swallow the light completely. To keep our hope alive and to keep life running, always someone will come. The one, who can make everyone to feel safe... and show that light was always there to fight for them, and it still is. Today, perhaps Mark is serving that purpose.
After winning a huge war, Mark is confident and will face the next invasion with million times more energy and he is committed that he will fight until his last breath, for the survival and well-being of whole mankind. Being a human, he has regret of losing his love of life Emily, and his friend Xena. But he believes that one day he will find both. He believes that one day, he will end the threat for one and for all. He just sees a future where everybody will see the clear sunshine coming out of dark to spread its light to everywhere.
He misses his love. He just thinks and imagine where she could be right now. He wants to find her... to meet her... and to keep her somewhere safe where he will not lose her... ever again. He tried to make everything better. He tried many things. He killed the threat and gave everyone the freedom of death at their own will. However, it’s not about death... but life. He tried to make living a pleasure and after many attempts, he found that only love holds that much power.
Only love has the capability t
o provide the thing, that people need right now. Only love contains that much energy, which can keep life moving forever. Thoughts in mind... despair on face, tendency of holding back and effect of fear in moving... only love got the key to unlock a whole new world of surprises. A world that everybody could accept, even without thinking a little bit. A world, thinking about which can make the way for one to see dreams who had given up a long time ago. That world is among us... was among us since... like ever. But we needed the key and the key is love.
After knowing all this... being a person, who literally discovered the importance of love in a creepy world... and then floundering in search of love... Mark is feeling completely uneasy. On seeing his reckless behavior, Aleina interrupts, "Right now, you have got a lot to do. We all see towards you to help. Emily shouldn't be your first priority in these hours."
"I understand my responsibility, but it hurts being alone. After all this, I am still a human... I still have heart and it feels like I have lost a part of me. I miss her badly... I want her back by any means," he adds, "But, I know I will find her. It's not an easy job, but I was never fond of completing easy job."
'Right now, I don't really know who I am, but I will have to find out quickly... for the sake of survival... for the sake of life. She defines me and without her, a part of me has left, but still it's me... I will do everything that we should do. I will find those things and destroy them forever,' Mark thought and moved to be prepared for the upcoming battle.
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CHAPTER 18
A New Journey
In those few months, he came to know about a lot of thing... He learnt about many devices that is being used by advanced civilization for their experimental purposes. They don't consider about the life of others... that advanced spaceships, understanding the behavior of space-time continuum and the utilization of Dyson sphere to harness the energy of Star for their own purpose... and there are many other things they do without thinking even for a moment that how it affects the other lives.