by Aditya Kumar
He had ignored this dream but seeing Emily like this... it started showing a streak of fear inside him. But whatever it would be, time will always run in forward direction and the things that had to happen at particular time, will definitely happen. He has to inform the Saikkar about this incident and he is ready to go to the place where leftover Sofrantians live. He is going to them with Aleina.
Scene: Socoan
"So, you are another failure. Because of you our man also died, who went with you. Don't worry... I have met many other like you, who just brags about their ability... you are no different than others," Saikkar is really angry, "Give me that shield remover. I will try some other way."
"I have to tell two things... First - Let me go there once again. This time, I will succeed," Mark never wanted to hurt good people... so he was requesting, but he couldn't control his laughter, "And well for Second thing - that 'shield remover' name is really funny... you must need to change its name."
Aleina is in disbelief as what Mark is doing. She was about to interrupt, but Mark's attitude increased the Saikkar's anger a lot. He screamed at Mark, "This is not a joke. Give me that device and get out."
"What if I do not give you the device... and just get out," on hearing this Saikkar signaled to one of his man - Saimon. He came forward and give a punch on Mark's face with his full strength and in next moment, everybody witnessed the effect of this punch... everybody saw Saimon's broken hand which was irrecoverable.
On seeing this, Saikkar got mad with anger and on his signal, all the Sofrantians attacked on Mark... but their result wasn't more different than Saimon.
"Release the 'b-2aphire'," Saikkar ordered. On hearing this their man even got shocked and Aleina too, as if she had heard about this.
'b-2aphire' was one of their finest invention. It was a bio weapon... but not in the form of bacteria and virus. It is large animal shaped robot comprising of the DNA of many kind of organism... some organism from their own planet and some from other. A scarier animal shaped huge AI device... this was always a glory for Sofrantians. It also played the crucial role in keeping Sofrants alive against Kenoksians. Aleina had heard this name and she was aware of this name. She tried to warn Mark, but he was over-confident.
"Bring that... let's see what else you got," Mark was also angry on Saikkar's behavior, but then he saw a large shadow whose origin seemed to be behind Mark. He turned back and saw a huge mountain sized animal, but this had only two feet and it also got two hand. Before he could do anything, he got a huge smash by b-2aphire and fall onto the ground. Before he could understand any more thing, that creepy robot threw him in space. That base... Socoan... that was their temporary place... but still around 10,000 fully armed Sofrantians used to live there. However, they all together were nothing for Mark, but b-2aphire was different, dangerous and powerful. Mark came back after two minute and until then he got some idea about the ability of that robot. That robot was very fast.
"We don't want to kill people here... so just get out from here. Anything else you got to say," Saikkar said.
"Can your creepy robot survive in outer space," Mark asked.
"What... why..." Saikkar understood nothing.
"Because, I don't want to destroy your temporary base Socoan for destroying your creepy robot," Mark said being cold blooded.
Saikkar started laughing, "I will need to admit... you are really funny. Can you approve my request... please don't make such joke anymore."
Saikkar thought that Mark was kidding, but he wasn't.
Next moment, everybody witnessed the speed of Mark... when he flew towards b-2aphire and injuring that robot. Its one hand destroyed, but it saw Mark flying up higher and it followed him. Sofrant’s technician corrected the robot's hand and then Mark and b-2aphire both are in space in front of each-other with blood in their eye... ready to kill other. Mark flew again towards b-2aphire... this time with even more speed, but to his surprise... that robot was even faster. Mark got one more punch and he got thrown away with double the speed with which he came towards b-2aphire. He tried many times, but result wasn't any different.
Socoan is a part of binary star system. One star is Red Dwarf and other is Neutron star. A tragic combination, but it provides sufficient energy to them and so Sofrantians can harness the required amount of energy from there to keep their technology running actively without a problem. But the energy they harnessed from there was too much. They know that they can't harness the energy from Neutron star after few months as it is close to its death and then only a red dwarf star will be there which can’t fulfil their energy requirement.
Even after knowing all this, they are not trying to take help from Mark... instead Mark is getting continuous punch, smash and many more kinds of attack. Mark understood that he will have to go in other way to do something extraordinary. He understood that he is not fast enough, but what if he can increase his speed. He needs help, but who can help him in outer space. Well, this is still their solar system and Mark's eye suddenly got stuck towards that Red Dwarf star.
Can he take the help of gravity to increase his speed, but how closer he can go to that star. He has seen the gravitational pull of Black Hole, but then he was outside its range. But today, he needs that gravity... and without giving a second thought, he took a slingshot around that star... absorbed a large part of Red Dwarf star’s energy and he threw all of its energy onto b-2aphire and before it could have applied any counter measure, Mark himself came faster than anything there and collided with b-2aphire. That robot went complete offline and Mark showed that robot, the path to Socoan.
Everybody... there was shocked as what just happened. A single person alone defeated the b-2aphire... their greatest invention without getting any major injury, but it was true. Mark came with b-2aphire.
"So, do you think... I am different than others," Mark asked Saikkar in sarcastic way.
He hadn't any answer... just told to follow him.
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CHAPTER 21
A New Mystery
Every moment in time is much more complex. The tiniest displacement in the action can cause catastrophic effect, when action is of that utmost importance. To make the thing better, we need to be present on the right place at right time. The question is how we can do this. Actually... is this really a question? Do you really want its answer? Can't you figure out yourself? This is little rude, but you can't run life as a process... which just needs input data and provides output information.
Well, someone say that bad things will always happen to you if you will try to do good thing. But... there is a question... can anyone verify the correctness of this statement or can anyone prove that this statement is not false. To understand this, first you need to know what is good and what is bad thing... well, first thing first... to whom perspective, you want to measure the goodness or badness level of particular action. There is no measure... a thing that is good for one, that can be the worst for other.
Then, how can you define the good and bad thing. Obviously... you would be seeing the things from your own perspective... maybe by yours own perspective, you would be defining thing. Still that statement has not much importance. Just do the thing that feels right... that can take you to your destination... that can fulfil your dream. Maybe, if you would achieve the destination... you will feel that this was not the thing you wanted, but that's a matter of another time... you don't need to care about that right now. Just live in present and do what feels right.
Mark was always confused on finding the relation between his action and his fate. Well, Emily was out there... no one knows what circumstances dragged her to do this... and here Mark is in the dilemma as what he can do to unravel the mystery. How he can make his one more step, knowing that there is a huge trench just ahead of him... but he will have to, because you can't stop whenever you can. Great power always comes with great responsibilities and Mark knows that.
"Who are you... exactly," Saikkar asked after this incident.
"You don't need to know me... I don't have that much time... in straight way, I don't want to tell you because I don't like you," Mark tried to improvise, but ultimately truth had to come out, "Well, you would also be angry on me. I can understand after what I did to you... to your finest invention," Mark said.
"Don't worry about b-2aphire. That will be fixed," Saikkar told.
"Not without knowing what I did to that robot," He threw a spherical ball shaped material towards Saikkar and said, "These are the DNA of every organism that formed the b-2aphire. You will need this for making b-2aphire online."
Saikkar kept seeing him in disbelief... but Mark was right. Advance scanning on b-2aphire showed that there is no trace of any livings in that robot.
"Okay... so you are an extraordinary person. Would you bother to tell me that who defeated you there in Coramus," Saikkar asked Mark.
Mark said, "No... I don't want to... I will never..."
Aleina interrupted in middle, "This is the time. You need to know some shocking truth. Tell them about her... she is the one..."
"What are you even saying... What truth... who is she..." everything was going beyond the range of Mark's understanding.
"Just tell them about her... it's time that you need to know the truth," Aleina said.
Then Mark told them about the encounter that he had with Emily in Coramus. Everything, he told clearly and explaining everything explicitly. Later he even made her sketch... on seeing the sketch, the first thing that came out of Saikkar's mouth was 'Ancient Lady' and "What..." this was Mark's reaction. Saikkar showed everyone that sketch, and everyone started saying 'Ancient Lady'. That chamber got filled with fear and horror of her. Mark took Saikkar outside of the chamber where only he, Saikkar and Aleina was.
"What is this 'Ancient Lady'," Mark asked in desperation.
Saikkar started telling, "We had heard a rumour about her... never thought that it would be a true story... but perhaps we were wrong... we all thought that..."
"What about the rumour," Mark interrupted in middle.
Saikkar told, "About five hundred years ago, there was a girl... beautiful, attractive and full of love. She had someone... a mysterious person. They won a huge war together... they always fought for peace. They loved...'
"What happened next," Mark couldn't control himself.
"One day, that girl suspiciously got superpowers. Some people say that those powers changed her... but that didn't. Few months later, that mysterious person disappeared... no one knows where, but he never came back to her. She waited and waited and kept waiting that one day he will return to her, but every day she waited, kept filling poison into her mind... she started feeling like he has gone for always and never coming back. These thoughts changer her... forever. Once she used to be the one who could always stand against any kind of evil, but that pain and broken hope made her a part of evil."
Mark couldn't believe what he was listening, "What a bullshit?"
"No, he is right," these voice from Aleina made Mark felt like somebody has crushed his body.
He spoke with difficulty, "But he said that incident happened five hundred years ago."
"Yeah, he is right again," Aleina said in calm tone, "I am sorry... what happened to you."
"Then just tell me... what happened to me," Mark screamed.
Aleina started telling, "There is an organization named 'Vast Horcune'. They are more mysterious than their name suggests. They were never seen anywhere... but one incident told me that they were real. You can understand that they are mysterious... but what they do is more mysterious, because no one really knows their purpose. An organization... filled with knowledgeable people... but their action always was suspicious. They believe in next life, different worlds and their knowledge... that is far beyond the understanding of even super advanced technology."
"What they had to do with my problem," Mark asked.
Aleina said, "They made you sleep unconsciously for around five hundred years."
"Why... Why..." Mark wanted to know.
"What... So you are that mysterious man," Saikkar said with delight.
Aleina replied to Mark, "I don't know. No one knows... No one can find out. But when you went into Canyon cave... do you remember that Xoguar left Canyon cave for some days."
Mark said, "Yeah... I do... but I can’t remember anything else... before you knocking at the door of Canyon cave."
"Yeah... because in that time someone came from 'Vast Horcune' and made you sleep until now. But that didn't age your mind. Still you think that you killed Acouch few months ago... but that actually happened around five hundred year ago. The period you spent sleeping... No one can return that precious time back."
"So, she was real... she was Emily," Mark asked.
Aleina said, "Yeah... she was Emily, but she changed. She calls herself Veronica now. But I can surely say that she will become good again and will come back to you."
"Why you didn't tell me yet," Mark asked being silent without seeing towards her.
Aleina was telling, "I wanted to, but..."
"Why you all hides secret from me? Why you all feel that I will go in danger, if I would know the whole truth? Why I meet everyone who never tells me any secret thing... but this time it went far beyond my expectation. I considered you a different person... a person, with whom I can share my feeling in absence of Emily... but you are worse than many other. I will never be able to forgive Xoguar. That person I trusted, but he neither did anything to wake me up nor told me about that," Mark started telling like he had lost everything in that moment.
"I am sure Xoguar would have done everything he could, to wake you up," Aleina tried to comfort her.
"Please don't say any more thing. I lost trust from humanity... I am quitting all this..." Mark felt himself lost.
Before Aleina could have told anything more, Mark flew away... towards Coramus... to meet her again... to make her understand what happened to him. To make her feel that he came back only for her. To make her believe that he will never leave her again... to say her that she is his life and nothing will matter to him until she is with him... to show her that his only dream is to make her happy again... to show her that she can be herself again... a loving, cute and attractive girl that she used to be...
Thinking all this, Mark suddenly realized that he is on the edge of that shield. He used shield remover and entered in Coramus to fulfil his desire.
"Emily..." and he was again greeted by that thunderbolt, which she had specially prepared for him. But this time he was ready to take anything to get her again. Trying to suppress the pain, he said, "Please listen to me... Emily..."
"Emily... looks a cute name... who is that girl..." She said.
"You... It's you Emily... Remember me... I am your Mark..."
"I don't know any Mark... and I am Veronica... remember this..." She said in angry voice.
"Emily... please..."
And again, Veronica attacked on him with a thunderbolt, "Never call me Emily... she died a long time ago... Now, only Veronica lives."
Before Mark could have said anything more, she attacked on him from every direction. He even didn't try to defend himself. He came back there just to take her, and he hadn't any other intention. If she wasn't ready to go in his world, then world doesn't exist for him. But she didn't kill him... instead after he fainted, she took her to the unknown place where Mark never were. He was beaten so badly that he couldn't able to come to his sense until next morning.
"Where am I," this was his first question after he wake up and then next question, "Why I am yet alive?"
"Just thought that I could show you my reality before killing you," Veronica said with scarier laughter.
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CHAPTER 22
On the Path
You can never know what will happen to you next. You can think of sacrificing everything in order to make everything in order, but it may not work. You can be tired of your own life, but you can't lose your preciou
s life so easily... you never have to. You must need to keep trying... otherwise even your sacrifice wouldn't worth a penny. Sometime life would give you terrible option to choose from, but then also you will have to be there... you can't run away.
Mark thought of giving his life when he couldn't able to make Emily returned to his life. But he is alive yet... he is tied, and he is seeing something that he never thought would see. He can see all his past and millions of his possible future in one glimpse... at one point. Where is he? No one tell about this place except Veronica, but he can see the ruptured space-time continuum... a huge hole in space-time itself. It couldn't take him longer to understand that another dimensional creature entered, or they are supposed to enter in his universe from that very specific place.
"For whom you work," Mark couldn't believe that she is helping those threat to capture the whole universe. He screamed, "You are sick."
Veronica said, "Maybe... but this is future. You all were destined for this and you all will be mixed up in this... you will lose your existence because you can't stop them."
"Listen... I know you don't want this. If you want to punish me for not coming to you... you can do this. But please don't hurt everyone," Mark requested to her.
"You don't even know me now," Veronica said.
"I always knew you... and you know that I can read your mind. You don't want to do this."
"Whatever, you are seeing, is just a mirage... you can't reach to my feeling... you can't make Emily to come back."
"Yes... I can... just make your prison a little loose and let my consciousness pass through you. You will understand who actually are you."
After a lot of try, she gave him a chance. A single chance whose successful execution could give him that he always wanted. He could not be in the position to ruin this chance and he didn't. As his consciousness passed through her, it showed her complete past when they were together. Emily, who was lost in the body of Veronica, came into light again. That neuron which got injected in Veronica's body through Mark's consciousness, made her realize the beautiful moments of togetherness.