“Where have I seen this market before? Can’t seem to remember any crossroad…market?” KC questioned himself. “The only market I have been seeing every day, since the past one year is the one in the picture, hanging outside my apartment…where I keep my keys…”
There was a dull moment of silence, as they looked at each other absolutely dumbstruck. Could the answer to all their questions lay in that picture harmlessly hanging there for a year! The three of them got up and ran out of the coffee shop raising quite a lot of eyebrows.
“I don’t believe this,” said KC as he sprinted. “It was there the whole time.”
“I told you,” shouted Kamal as he tried to keep up with KC. “You always leave clues in the strangest, most unassuming places.”
Five minutes later they reached below KC’s building and were about to enter the building when Jenny stopped them.
“Just wait a bit…” pointed Jenny in the direction. “We got visitors! There are a lot of cars parked outside.”
“Just to be on the safe side, we should take the fire exit,” suggested KC pointing in the direction. He guided Jenny and Kamal across a few bushes and a short wall to the back of the building incognito.
“Kamal, you stay here and be – eyes on ground, we will communicate through our cellphones,” said KC initiating a conference call. “Jenny and myself are going to climb up the fire-escape,” added KC. “If we don’t come back in 10 minutes, Kamal you must go to Mike’s. He’ll be drunk like hell, but he will believe you. If something goes irrevocably wrong, Crona will get you back to 2018.”
It was dark and silent. KC and Jenny carefully climbed up the fire escape and reached just outside KC’s apartment window. KC looked down and gave Kamal a ‘thumbs up’. They could barely see each other. Cautiously, KC peeped in from the window and looked into his apartment. And he was shocked!
“What happened?” asked Jenny as she too carefully peeped into KC’s apartment and met with the same result. She was dumbstruck!
“It’s Garmin,” KC and Jenny said together in disbelief. “And he is wearing a suit!!”
Chapter 6
Garmin
“What!” said Kamal as he heard KC and Jenny speak through his handsfree. “Garmin - the Intergalactic villain is in your apartment and… he is wearing a suit! …He is one darn dedicated villain, trying his best to blend in I must say,” joked Kamal trying to control his laugh and just about managing to stay undercover.
“Wait... What?” exclaimed Jenny whispering. “Garmin…is not a villain, he is a merchant. Ah… what do you say…a businessman, corrupt one though. Biggest in the crossroads.”
“A Businessman! Of course, not Jenny. This is Garmin, I would recognize him anywhere. He was killed by the AMU during… a battle. He is from the Garmanien race, from the outer sectors of the known universe.”
“Guys, any which way, Garmin is in your apartment…this can’t be good,” interrupted Kamal. “Just see what’s happening and get your painting down here, that’s priority one,” reminded Kamal.
KC slightly got up to get a better view. He could clearly see men inside his apartment scanning everything with a strange device he had never seen before. They moved their hands over an object and the air in between the object and their hand would get crystalized and would display the object’s information.
“What is that thing Crona?” asked KC.
“I have never seen such a thing commander,” replied Crona.
“It’s a ‘Shape Magnifier’, from the Uptron system. It’s worn on the hand and it magnifies your hand in a crystallized form. It’s used for heavy duty work and for analyzing elements. Usually used in the mines and factories,” informed Jenny.
“How come Crona doesn’t know this?” pondered KC.
“A Glitch maybe,” replied Jenny.
“I am telling you guys, believe me KC, you and Jenny are not only from a different time, but from a different universe as well. Crona can’t be wrong. She has been ‘Location Shifting’ us across time with precision. This involves extremely complex equations and algorithms and unmatched clarity of the minutest quark of space-time, which I can’t even imagine right now.”
“Believe me, she can’t forget something as mundane as a location or device,” said Kamal.
“Well then, there is only one way to find out,” declared KC. “No more questions, no more running around. I WANT ANSWERS.”
“What… What are you going to do?” asked Jenny as she looked inside the apartment from the window.
“Jenny, I love you, I always have and I always will,” said KC as he kissed Jenny on her forehead.
KC got up in a flurry, opened the window from the outside and entered his apartment to everybody’s surprise. Jenny couldn’t believe what KC just did and followed him in right away. Kamal, fearing the worst, hurried up the stairs as fast as he could.
* * *
As KC entered the apartment, no one noticed him. It was a small apartment and there were already many people inside. KC quietly made his way from one corner of the apartment towards the main door. Garmin’s men were either too preoccupied or too dumb. No one noticed him! He did everything from leaping behind the couch, to disappearing behind the curtains to freezing next to the showpiece. Finally, KC reached the main door and with a quick slip of hand, grabbed the painting and hid it under his jacket not before having a quick look at it. If he saw it, so did Crona.
“Crona…evaluate,” said KC as discretely as possible. “The painting shows a marketplace and has lot of numbers written over each shop and other things!”
“Analyzing Commander,” replied Crona.
Just then, one of the men came in front of KC and started analysing the coat hanging on the mirror, behind which KC was hiding. “Cloth… Cotton/own reflection/human/object… Untraceable. Not from the three sectors of the known universe,” broadcasted the Shape Magnifier.
Everyone in the room froze and turned towards the mirror stand.
“What was that again?” asked Garmin in his typical rough and heavy voice.
The strange-looking man again pointed the Shape Magnifier towards the coat. “Cloth… Cotton/own reflection/human/object… Untraceable. Not from the three sectors of the known universe,” announced the Shape Magnifier again.
“Crona, hurry up,” exclaimed KC as he held his ground, “I have no time left.”
Garmin walked towards the mirror as everyone made way for him. As Garmin crossed his men, they returned to their original shape. They were all aliens of different structures and proportions unlike what KC and Jenny had ever seen before. Well-built and of strange shapes.
Garmin examined the coat. It looked pretty ordinary! He opened the coat and looked inside. Still nothing! Just a mirror. Garmin looked at himself in the mirror which bought KC a valuable few seconds.
“Crona, hurry up already,” whispered KC as he held the painting tight.
“Commander, these numbers on the painting are coordinates. Coordinates to a location in space,” replied Crona.
“Which location? Location shift us there immediately,” said KC desperately as Garmin lifted his hand to push the mirror aside as he turned raging red.
“Cdr, the coordinates on the painting point to Sector One..., but there is nothing there! Just space. I can’t Location shift you there!”
Garmin pushed aside the mirror, and its stand along with KC fell to the ground face down. The aliens quickly clenched their fists or whatever they had resembling a fist. The Shape Magnifier instantly froze the vapors in front forming a fist-like magnified structure.
One of the aliens pointed his tentacles towards KC. The Shape Magnifier froze the vapors forming a pointed needle-like structure extending right up to KC’s neck.
“You…, turn around,” said Garmin in his heavy voice, “show yourself.
KC knew one thing for sure; the moment
Garmin would see him, he wouldn’t waste a second to finish KC off. Jenny picked up a baseball bat and recoiled her arms, aiming at an alien. She had to create a diversion. KC turned around real slow, finally facing Garmin. He had mixed emotions. He was incensed and angry, for he knew what Garmin was capable of and what he had done in his time. On the other hand, he was cautious as Jenny was in the same apartment and he did not want to do anything silly and lose Jenny again!
“You,” said Garmin as he looked at KC, pointing what looked like a sabre at KC. “Who… are you?”
“What..?” said KC in surprise and shock. “You…don’t know me?” questioned KC in utter bewilderment and disbelief.
“Cdr,” urged Crona, “I could raise your wall partially, I can power up the wall by .005% using all the power grids of this planet.”
“No,” murmured KC. “There is no imminent threat. Save the wall for the location jump out of here.”
“Directive commander,” replied Crona, “Standing by.”
KC wondered how Garmin didn’t remember him. Was Kamal right in saying that Jenny and now Garmin were from a different universe? Could it be true! Then it hit him! The Crossroads got to be from a parallel universe, in Sector 1. The numbers on the painting were also showing coordinates to a location in Sector 1. Could it be so…?
“Crona,” said KC aloud, “match the coordinates from the Crossroads which Jenny said, to that of the coordinates on the painting. Do they match?”
“Analysing,” said Crona. “Perfect Match Cdr… it’s one and the same place. Ground Zero, Earth, Sector one… but it does not exist here.”
“It does… Crona,” replied KC. “It does, not in this space…but somehow somewhere it does.”
“Who are you talking to?” asked Garmin angrily as he raised his sabre. Jenny shouted aloud and gave a sweet blow with the baseball bat to a large alien standing in front of her, creating a diversion and stopping Garmin in the act. The alien touched his head where the baseball bat was lodged between his folds. He took out the bat stuck in his head as he turned around and looked at Jenny. Jenny moved back looking around to pick up something to throw at the alien. Just then Kamal entered the apartment from the front door sprinting, least expecting what he was about to witness. Kamal picked up a chair and threw it at the alien who was almost over Jenny!
Frustrated, the alien now charged at Kamal.
“Oh my God. That was a bad idea!” exclaimed Kamal as he saw the alien coming, charging towards him.
“Crona, raise my wall around Jenny and Location-jump us to the coordinates on the painting and Kamal to 2018,” said KC quickly.
As Crona went into action, KC got up swiftly and leapt for Jenny, covering her from all sides to prevent her from getting hurt. Garmin held KC’s arm but slipped and could only hold on to the painting. KC held on to the painting as well, as did Jenny to pull the painting away from Garmin. Just then the wall came up with an astounding flash as Kamal covered his eyes not able to bear the extreme surge of light.
Kamal fell on the ground. He rolled over knowing the alien was onto him. There was dumb silence as Kamal opened his eyes. Surprisingly, the alien was gone! Kamal looked further, none of the aliens were there in the room. Surprised! Kamal got up. The whole room was empty.
“What…!” said Kamal as he moved around in the room banging and tripping on the furniture which lay scattered in the apartment!
“Where is everybody!” added Kamal trying to figure out what was happening! “KC…Jenny…Crona anyone… anybody?” continued Kamal.
There was no reply. Kamal looked around. He wondered if he had time-jumped to 2018. But he was still in the exact same room. Kamal checked his watch. It displayed 2017! “What’s going on?” thought Kamal as he picked up the couch and sat on it.
“OK then, I am pretty much stuck in 2017.”
“No, you are not,” came Crona’s reassuring voice.
“Thank God,” said Kamal as he heard Crona’s voice. “You are here, but wait.., you didn’t go with KC to the parallel universe?”
“No, I couldn’t,” replied Crona.
“Couldn’t!” repeated Kamal.
“Yes. I couldn’t understand ‘that space’. I could barely location-jump the Commander and Jenny. If I went through that space, it could have become unstable… I had to stay back!”
“That’s not good,” said Kamal. “How are KC and Jenny going to come back? That’s a complete alien world! How will they survive? Send me there right now,” demanded Kamal.
“I cannot,” replied Crona promptly. “The painting they held in their hand was not just an address slab, but a ‘Stabilizer’ as well. The Stabilizer made this Inter-Dimensional Jump possible. Ordinarily, we only jump through the known universe. But this Inter-Dimensional Jump requires a stabilizer. Which was unheard of until now. In fact, I am still analysing this other dimension.”
“That’s why I didn’t location-jump you to 2018, it might not be safe yet. There is too much disturbance in this current space,” explained Crona.
“I am not going anywhere till I figure out where KC has gone,” replied Kamal. “I need to make a few calls.”
Kamal stepped aside to make a call, but there was no network. Kamal tried again but couldn’t. He went close to the window and tried again. Still there was no network.
“What’s going on!” said Kamal. “How come there is a network problem here!”
“There is a lot of electric disturbance here. After the Jump,” replied Crona.
“You should go down and try making the call,” advised Crona. Just as Kamal headed for the door, the bell rang!
“Who could that be?” said Kamal as he ran towards the door and looked through the spy glass. It was KC’s neighbour! Kamal opened the door just a bit and stuck his neck out.
“What is it sir?” asked Kamal. “What’s all that noise and ruckus, keep it down! What’s wrong with you anyway?” asked the neighbour fuming as he tried to peek in.
“Wait…” said Kamal as he further closed the door. “You can’t come in right now.”
“Why not?” asked the neighbour.
“The apartment is a complete mess. You can’t see this,” replied Kamal.
“Oh, yes I can,” replied the neighbour as he put his hand in between the door.
“Actually…everyone is…butt naked,” replied Kamal not able to come up with any other answer to keep the inquisitive neighbour out.
“Oh God! You’ll are crazy. Clean it up and keep it down,” said the annoyed neighbour as he left disgusted.
“Naked! That’s all you could come up with Einstein,” said Kamal to himself as he shut the door and turned around.
“Very effective though!” said Crona with a hint of sarcasm.
Kamal tried his cell again. The surge was down and the call got through.
“Reen, this is Kamal,” said Kamal shouting into the cell as he couldn’t hear anything clearly enough. The network was still poor.
“I will patch you through in clear to 2018,” suggested Crona as she connected to Reen via satellite and disconnected his call. Crona displayed the image of Mr. Reen on a wall in KC’s apartment in 2017 and Kamal’s image in front of Mr. Reen in his office in India in 2018.
“Thanks Crona,” said Kamal as he turned towards Reen. “Reen, can you hear me?”
“Hear you! Hell I can see you,” replied Reen in surprise. “Sir, you didn’t tell me, you were working on this new tech.”
“This tech is…, well forget that. Reen, I want you to send me Tac-3 to the US. Now.”
“US..! As in the United States Sir?” asked Reen.
“Yes,” replied Kamal promptly.
“Right Sir, will you be going along?” queried Reen.
“No,” replied Kamal. “I am already here.”
“Sir… I just met you couple of hours back!” said Re
en puzzled.
“Never mind that Reen,” replied Kamal.
“I’ll have Tac-3 mobilised Sir. The team will be with you in six hours. Where should they meet you?” asked Reen.
Crona sent Reen the location, which got displayed on the wall in front of Reen.
“Got it,” said Reen promptly. “I’ll brief the Tac-3 mid-air Sir. What is the mission?”
“Reen, Tac 3 will not be able to meet me physically. Though we will be in the same exact location. We will however communicate via a media similar to the one we are using now.”
“Didn’t understand Sir,” questioned Reen. “Is this a stealth mission?”
“No Reen, I mean… Tac-3 will reach this location. This particular building and secure the perimeter. They will enter the apartment and interact with me with the help of this ‘wall media’. The Tac-3 should not look conspicuous. Their mission is to ensure no one comes in or out of the apartment and if the building is under attack, defend the building and ultimately the apartment. The apartment is the ‘Vital Ground’,” explained Kamal.
“Roger Sir,” said Reen. “Understood. Would you be in command?”
“Ah…No I won’t. Rather I can’t be in command. I am not here,” said Kamal with a pause.
“Sir, you just said you are there! Your position is also visible on the wall…in the apartment,” quizzed Reen.
“You are right,” said Kamal. “But I am not there in 2018! I am in the same apartment in the year 2017.”
There was a brief pause… Reen didn’t say anything. Kamal waited for a reply…
“Roger Sir…,” said Reen. “But you do know, you sound very strange. Don’t you Sir?”
“Reen, you have no idea. I have found out a whole new definition of strange.”
Crona closed the wall. Kamal looked around and sat on the floor, tired resting his back on the wall.
“I am 40! People retire at this age,” he said.
“Then you must retire,” replied Crona.
“Yes I was going to…” said Kamal.
“But then I met KC.”
“Cdr Kenneth fascinates you?” asked Crona.
Genesis Page 13
