by Rahul Sharma
After all, they’re coming for me.
Spacewatch
August 8th 2138
For over two hundred years now, we have been talking about the dangers of debris and garbage in space: forgotten and disposed goods that have been floating around the cosmos-often harming spacecrafts and spacewalkers. The International Space Council (ISC) is in the process of drafting legislation to cut down on the production of such wastes, and even picking up existing garbage.
While these men and women of the ISC worry about the dangers of space debris, they seem to have forgotten the other kind of debris they have left behind on other planets-people.
It has been twenty five years since the departure of the much hyped Romeo XII, the spaceship that was to travel to the newly discovered planet X4534 located in the outer reaches of the solar system. After speculating about possible life on the planet, the ISC sent out Romeo XII and its ten person crew. After the one year journey, the spaceship exploded in the new foreign atmosphere, experts say this was because of a faulty rear engine.
However, despite this tragedy, the ISC confirmed to having received SOS signals from the planet-which meant that there were survivors. Further analysis concluded that it was the captain, renowned spaceman, Ed Frasier who had managed to survive the crash.
Edmund Frasier, 32, is most popularly known for his feat of being the first man to set foot on a meteorite. His achievement, not something trivial, was well publicised and talked about when it happened-seven years ago. However, rumour has it that Frasier, who has made two space expeditions besides the legendary “meteorite walk”, suffered from some sort of personality disorder immediately after his first feat. Colleagues and friends say that the twenty seven year old Frasier became extremely “full of himself” after his (no doubt important but) somewhat minor feat. Sources say that he soon became unbearable to interact with and many say they do not miss the man.
It is well known that the relationship between the ISC and Ed Frasier has been cold, at best, but the hesitancy and reluctance of the ISC to send a rescue party is beyond shocking. No doubt, Frasier (or SIR Frasier, as he insisted on being called) was, to put it very mildly, conceited. But to strand him on a distant planet, is, in the opinion of this reporter, quite cruel.
However, the opinion of the public seems contrary to that of mine. A poll conducted by a magazine(that requested to remain unnamed) shows that over seventy percent of those polled(which was about twenty thousand people), felt that the often egoistic spaceman SHOULD be left on planet X4534, as some sort of ultra cruel solitary confinement/death sentence. The ISC, refrained from commenting on the said poll results, however, this reporter did note a slight smile on the face of the chairman on hearing this.
This reporter has to refrain from revealing his identity, because the ISC does not take very kindly to its detractors. Despite his egotism and flaws, it is extremely inhumane to desert a fellow human on a distant and unexplored planet, even more so if the one deserted suffers from psychological and personality disorders.
This reporter is very worried when he wonders what the world has come to.
~~~
The Hostage Game
Gates plaza was the tallest building on the city’s skyline. That doesn’t necessarily mean that it was very tall-only twenty floors. But for a city the size of Goodane, it was a skyscraper. Known as Goodane’s pride, the Gates plaza was the city’s mascot. It also played host for some of Goodane’s biggest events. The Gates plaza has also been historic in another sense- it has been the venue for one of the greatest crimes in the city.
One misty morning, at 5AM, two guards patrolling on the rooftop were gunned down silently by a passing press helicopter. Aboard the helicopter were two snipers, who had been employed for that particular job. Once the two guards on the rooftop had been killed, one of the snipers picked up a cell phone. He dialled a number and spoke. “This is Sniper 1. The job has been done.”
Somewhere far away, on another aircraft, a young man nodded. “Very good Sniper 1, you will receive full pay at the base.” The young man cut the line and then dialled another number on his phone. He looked out of a window in the aircraft and saw the distant spike of the Gates plaza on the horizon. “Hello? This is 6. You can eradicate Snipers 1 and 2.” He heard the short, obedient reply on the phone and smiled, cutting the line. Stage one was half done. He sat in silence with his team mates and watched as their unregistered plane drew closer to the Gates plaza.
Once the plane had reached a fair deal closer, 6 got up and went into the cockpit. “Take her tangential, and open the loading dock” He commanded shortly. He then returned to the cabin. “Its time” he informed his team mates. All of them trooped down into the loading dock and waited. Slowly, with a loud metallic groan, the dock opened and they watched the ground slide under them. Then there was a quiet beep from 6’s watch. Without a single word, the young man, clad completely in black, took a running start and leaped off the platform. With a flourish of his arms and a twist of his spine, 6 unlatched the wings of his suit from their compartments. There was a swish as the two small fins from his wrists and the larger pair of wings from his back caught the wind. Within seconds, 6 was sailing smoothly and quietly over the city of Goodane. He heard similar swishes behind him and knew that his team mates had followed his lead.
With a graceful movement, 6 shifted his body from a horizontal position to a vertical one, and landed smoothly on the rooftop of Gates plaza. Within the next few minutes, 6’s entire team had landed, though not all as graceful as he had landed. When the last man, a large burly blonde, had arrived, 6 began giving out the instructions.
“Jerry, I want you to secure the security office. The entire building is closed today so there are only guards patrolling all over the place. Kill any guard you see. The conference begins at 8 AM. It is now,” he consulted a complex looking watch on his wrist, “6AM. We have two hours to secure the entire building. Jerry, wait till all seven of them have entered and then lock the doors. Lou, I want bugs on all sides of the building, pronto.” Jerry, the large blonde, and Lou, a small, mole-like man, both hastily departed into the building.
6 then turned to look at the five other men standing around him. “Team Murder, stand by for Jerry’s signal before carrying out your plan. The two of you,” he said, rounding on the last two men, “are going to head up to the main office and wire up the laptop and sound system.” Everyone nodded and left to perform their functions. Within a few minutes, 6 was left standing alone on the roof in the light of the rising sun. He swiftly strode indoors and found an empty office to wait inside. Within a few minutes, the word came from Jerry on the walkie talkie. “Hey 6, I’m giving you your Christmas present early man. You owe me.” The voice sounded friendly and informal. 6 and Jerry were long time friends.
A few seconds after this, there was a rough voice on the intercom. “All security please report to meeting hall 4, I repeat, all security please report to meeting hall 4, we have an urgent and important announcement to make. This is for the security and guards ONLY. No logistics staff member should be present. The issue will be addressed to the logistics later. Thank you.”
6 whipped out his walkie talkie. “Team Murder, this is 6. You heard Jerry; you know what to do don’t you? Remember, show no mercy. Over and out” With a satisfied smile, 6 went back into his meditation.
**********
Team murder, as the name suggests, was 6’s weapon of mass destruction. Consisting of three psychologically disturbed teenagers, it was quite a lethal weapon indeed. 6 had often used this Team Murder to get rid of people quickly in sticky situations. The worst part of it was that the three young men enjoyed what they did.
Within ten minutes of Jerry’s announcement, meeting hall 4 was quite packed. Members of the security stood in small circles, discussing what this sudden meeting might be about. In front of the hall was a small stage. It was from the door behind this stage that the three members of Team murder emerged. Two of them vanishe
d into the crowd of guards while the biggest, Rex called for everybody’s attention.
He waved a big hand to the gathering and called out in his friendly voice, “People, may I have your attention please?!?” Most of the people in the hall went quiet; listening to this young man they had never seen before.
"Yes, umm…thank you. Now I would like to make a small announcement before the day’s duty begins. I would like to thank you for every good deed you have done for the world, we will miss you.”
With this statement, Rex produced a submachine gun from the holster on his back and opened fire on the hall. Similarly, in two opposite corners of the hall, the other two members of the team- Raj and Antony- mimicked this action of Rex’s and opened fire on the bewildered security.
It was chaos. It was chaos only Team Murder was capable of causing. Guards ran for their lives, pushing shoving other people out of their way, their personal survival their highest priority. A few braver guards began to return fire with their pistols. But before they could let loose an entire round, several slugs tore into them, killing them instantly. Everywhere, men fell like bowling pins. The three teenagers continued to pour bullets into the hysteric mass of people like hosepipes into a garden. Each one with their own reason for vengeance on innocent humanity.
After five minutes of continuous fire, taking small breaks only to reload, the job was done. Meeting hall 4 resembled a bomb site, except there was not much damage on the building in this case. The floor was filled with bullet holes, bodies and blood. The three-man holocaust regrouped near one of the doors. Exchanging triumphant grins, they set off for their next stop.
**********
6’s eyes snapped open yet again when another announcement pierced the building’s PA system. “Would the security please get back to respective spots? Thank you. The Logistics staff, including the cooks and hospitality staff, should please assemble in meeting hall 3. I repeat, this is an urgent announcement and no staff member should abscond. Please assemble in meeting hall 3. Thank you.”
6 pulled out his walkie talkie, “Team Murder, well done. I hope you have eliminated the security completely. Continue to meeting hall 3 and do your stuff. I’ll meet you there in seven minutes.” With a swift movement, 6 leapt off the table on which he had been meditating, and prowled out of the room. He first ascended to the topmost floor to check how his other two colleagues were doing.
He easily pushed open the swinging door and strode into the largest room of the Gates plaza. The far wall was made completely of glass and hence showed 6 the entire cityscape, bathed in the bright rays of the morning sun. He found his two colleagues, immersed in the wiring of two laptops, both on the largest desk, which stood facing the amazing view.
“I hope you know what you’re doing.” 6 retorted as he watched the two men plugging and unplugging various wires. 6 had no interest or skill in the field of technical expertise. His field was…….well it was above the field of all other men. “Wire up the laptop to the PA system. Also, get the feed from Lou’s bugs. One more thing, find out the phone number of that pay phone in front of the building.” He gave a little smile at the bewildered looks of his men and left.
By the time 6 had reached meeting hall 3, Team Murder had already completed its job. 6 entered the hall to find it completely covered in bloodstains and the floor littered with bodies. Trying to hide his disgust, 6 indicated the three teenagers to follow him and left through the door he used to enter.
He waited in the carpeted corridor, his back facing the door, for all three of them to assemble. Once he heard them, he began. “Well done boys, you really have proven yourself.” But in reply, 6 received only a loud click. He immediately knew what was going on.
He switched to a different track, “I wouldn’t do that if I were you, Reynold Dredger, escaped patient of Goodwill mental rehabilitation centre. Mass murderer and serial killer since the time you were twelve.”
The silence from behind him was a clear message of the shock that Rex was facing at that moment. 6 smiled, “There are no secrets you can hold from me Rex, now put down that gun like a smart boy. I thought you would be happy with the amount of murder you have done today.” More silence. Within a quarter of a second, 6 whirled around, whipping out a pistol from the depths of his apparel as he did so, and faced Rex. Rex’s face had blanched, but his gun still stood at chest height, though it was shaking. Rex’s team mates stood watching, awestruck, uninvolved.
It lasted only a second. Rex made a slight twitch. With a loud bang, a bullet pierced his chest and he was dead in an instant. 6 pocketed his pistol and dragged Rex’s body into meeting hall 3, Raj and Antony stayed rooted to their respective spots, too terrified to move. After stripping Rex of his gun, walkie talkie and every other indication of his involvement in the plan, 6 re-entered the corridor. He saw the two frightened teenagers staring at him and broke into a smile. “I’m not going to hurt you guys; I trust the both of you. Rex was getting a bit cocky.” He gave a small laugh, but became serious again “If any of you follow his lead, I’m afraid I’ll have to repeat this incident.”
6 then proceeded to instruct the two remaining members of Team Murder on what they had to do next. With a final nod, he strode off to the main office. Once he had gone, Raj and Antony looked at each other. “What d’you think? Is it worth staying?” Antony gave a thoughtful glance at 6’s retreating figure, “He said he trusts us. I’ve heard that when he makes a friendly statement, he means it. I’m staying.” With this statement, Antony strode off towards the large foyer of the building, closely followed by Raj.
**********
At Seven thirty five am, three vans pulled up to the front of the Gates plaza, each with different news broadcasting companies’ logo. A reporter and a cameraman emerged from each of the vans, the excitement on their face showing through the sleepiness. Four men and two women entered the gates plaza and were welcome by an Indian teenager. With a warm smile he directed them to a room off the entrance chamber in order to give them some instructions.
I assume you can guess the rest. Only the reporter and cameraman from the government news agency were allowed to survive. They were sworn to silence at gunpoint and their cell phones were taken. They were then lead by Raj, closely followed by Antony, to the main meeting hall.
The hall was huge. Measuring the entire width of the Gates plaza, it was ornately decorated with huge pillars and towering windows. The fact that it was three storeys tall only added to its grandeur. In the center of the hall was a long wooden table, set with seven chairs, ready for the arrival of the seven biggest businessmen in the country. Everyone in the country had eagerly been awaiting this meeting for several months now, for its outcome could change the county’s economic policies, financial state and could possibly monopolize the economy of the country.
All over the country, families gathered in front of their TV sets, eagerly awaiting the results of the biggest and most important meeting in recent history. At eight o clock, the broadcasting began on the government news channel. But it was the only channel. Two other private news channels who were supposed to broadcast the meeting were facing “technical difficulties”. So everyone eventually switched to the government channel and by eight ten, the meeting began.
**********
Angelina Fent was renowned for her good looks and better reporting skills, especially among the male viewers. Her charming behaviour and pretty looks increased people’s interest in the daily news. She had won several awards for her reporting skills and was a reputed reporter. Thus, it was not unexpected that she was chosen to be the spot reporter for this meeting.
But unlike her usual composed self, today Angelina looked different. Her hair was not neatly tied in a ponytail as it always was. Her face seemed unusually pale. Her eyes kept flicking to a point behind the cameraman as she spoke. Perhaps it was because of the fact that a submachine gun was trained on her from the youth in the corner of the room.
“Good morning ladies and gentlemen, this
is Angelina Fent reporting for the government news. I am standing here,” she indicated the vast hall behind her, “at the gates plaza where one of the most crucial meetings is going to be held. The twelfth annual financial meeting is said to bring several changes to our economy this year. The seven super tycoons are ready for the meeting. Mr Jay Edison is about to begin the opening speech of the meeting, let’s see what he has to say.”
The camera panned across the hall and came to focus on the large elderly man standing at the head of the table. He cleared his throat, smoothed his slick silver hair, picked up a sheaf of papers from the table in front of him, looked at the six other men at the table and began his speech. It was at that point of time that millions of TV screens across the country went blank.
As suddenly as they went blank, a clear, young voice played out from the static.
“Good morning ladies and gentlemen. I have officially taken over this meeting. Every action henceforth will be on my instructions. Disobeyers will be killed. If the police makes any attempt to attack or enter the building, I will be informed and I will detonate the foundations of the building, turning the tower into dust within minutes. Hope you enjoy the morning!!” and there was nothing but static.
News channels went into frenzy. The video and audio footage was played repeatedly on every single news channel. The police force was deployed within seconds but did not dare venture too close to the building, in fear of losing Goodane’s pride. Citizens watched their TV screens with anxiety but even the news channels had nothing new on the subject.
It was, however, a different story inside the main hall of the Gates plaza.
Jay Edison listened with rapt attention as the voice pierced the P.A. system, his hands still clutching the sheaf of papers. All around him, his fellow tycoons were also listening, some with anxious expressions, and some with anger. Once the announcement was over, an uneasy silence swept over the hall. The seven important men mumbled amongst themselves and the reporter and her cameraman stood, stunned.
