Genesis

by Tej Pratap Singh

  “Warehouse 02… warehouse 03… Kulo...” called out KC. There was no reply!

  “What’s going on Crona?” asked KC visibly disturbed, but still composed.

  “Status report commander…” replied Crona. “We have lost 30 men into the Earth’s asteroid belt. We have lost all of them at the exact same coordinates - C- 333.84.1984.253. All three warehouses headed for these exact coordinates. Nothing exists there but empty space. They were intact and not destroyed as I continued to receive their signal for 1/60th of a second after they vanished. It’s confirmed. They did not crash,” reported Crona.

  “Crona, standby for any activity on the Xz-01’s warehouses,” said KC. “The slightest movement in the remaining two warehouses and the remaining ST6 must be transported to an alternate location on the Xz-01, which is stable. Something unexplainable is happening on that planet.”

  “ST6, continue with your mission and report any development. Scan the complete planet, take as many data and log files as you can,” ordered Akil.

  “Cdr KC, we got under three hours before the Ghost protocol gets over. ST6 will have to be extracted soon,” said Rul.

  “Call the council,” replied KC. “We have to take a call now.”

  Over the next 10 minutes, Crona summoned the Councilmen of the AMU from across the universe. They were location-jumped immediately. Irrespective of where they were or what they were doing. On the 11th minute, they were all sitting in the council hall waiting for KC and speculating why the Supreme commander had summoned them in such a flurry.

  A massive wall appeared in the center of the hall and subsided as KC stood in front of the council, at the center of the hall.

  “Wise men, fathers of the Armed Military Union, forgive me, for my haste in summoning all, at this hour. The matter is of great importance and your advice is vital,” stated KC. “Garmin is up to something nefarious and even Crona can’t comprehend or analyse the source or the aftermath.”

  “Garmin had mended his ways, I assumed,” said one of the councilmen calmly.

  “30 men are missing in action today,” said KC as the murmuring of the councilmen stopped. “30 of the best of the AMU. They were executing a covert reconnaissance Op on Xz-01.”

  “That’s a trade station!” said a councilman.

  “So we thought too,” replied KC as he raised his hand to open his wall and showed the councilmen the visual recording of the event.

  “This is unexplainable,” said the councilmen, distraught as their murmuring started again.

  “The Ghost Protocol is the ultimate tool of the AMU. It has been breached! This is not only unexplainable, but it is beyond thought and understanding,” they agreed unanimously.

  “Councilmen, I say we mobilise our sector 01 reserve forces and take over Xz-01,” suggested KC.

  “We understand your predicament Commander. Losing men is never easy. But we don’t understand what is out there and it would be unwise to feed more men, to the unknown,” said the eldest council man as he slowly got up, gathering his perfectly long and silver beard. “I plead to my fellow councilmen to give Cdr Kenneth - 24 hours to investigate into the nature of the… situation and only then we must initiate a full-scale military retaliation.”

  “The council wants us to lose another 20 men?” erupted Rul not able to control himself.

  “Better lose 20 more and avoid a war, than to lose 20 million to an enemy we don’t know and understand yet,” said the councilman calmly in his heavy yet faded voice.

  “Very well then,” interrupted KC. “24 hours! Thank you wise councilmen. Your advice will be respected,” added KC as he raised his wall and vanished into thin air.

  Instantly, the councilmen were location-jumped to their respective locations, as they were.

  * * *

  “Crona, how much time before the Ghost Protocol is over?” asked KC.

  “1 hr 40 mins Cdr,” replied Crona.

  “Jump out the balance ST6,” ordered KC. “Once they get here, critically analyse all the data they have gathered and update me. And in one hour from now, location-jump five of my elite guards along with me to Xz-01.”

  “But Cdr, Crona will need atleast five hours to restart the Ghost-protocol,” advised Cdr Akil.

  “Who said anything about the Ghost Protocol?” smiled KC. “We will go there in the clear, as traders. Our walls will hide our AMU DNA signature and float a false signature. No one will know who we are,” assessed KC.

  “What will you do there?” asked Cdr Rul.

  “Buy some vitamins!” smiled KC.

  KC touched his jacket and said – “Rust red”. The color of his uniform turned rust red. He continued, “Loosen the collars, trousers brown.” His uniform accordingly changed color and texture. “This ought to do it,” he smiled looking at Rul.

  “I’ll come along,” said Rul.

  “Not required,” replied KC. “I’ll not need any protection. No one will know who I am. I’ll just pose as an ordinary trader. Five of my elite guards are going with me to save the others from me! They will be there to stop me if I lose it. You know I can’t tolerate nonsense,” beamed KC sarcastically.

  “We know it all too well,” laughed Rul and Amin.

  One hour later, KC was ready for his location-jump. He arrived at his ship’s command deck and carried out his team’s briefing. He made it amply clear - “We are going in as traders. Think and behave like one! Primary objective is not to engage Garmin’s troops but to collect information, of the location C - 333.84.1984.253 to which all the three warehouses have headed into.”

  Just as KC was about to location-jump, a wall appeared in front of him. It was the head councilman - AlPrime. It was a powerful wall, only second to KC’s. It blocked everyone’s view. One on one now, AlPrime had something important to speak to KC.

  “Councilman, it’s quite a surprise, I must confess,” said KC as he calmly sat down on his command chair on his deck. “To what do I owe this surprise visit!”

  “Forgive me, Supreme Commander. I didn’t want to barge in unannounced… but the matter is of great concern,” explained AlPrime.

  “What bothers you wise councilman?” asked KC with a smile.

  “The whole council is worried… War must be avoided at All Costs! The breach of the Ghost protocol is a huge blow to the AMU. We fear it might lead to war eventually. And war is not an option Commander, Not now.., not ever. Not even after 24 hours. I request you! You must find the cause of this event and isolate Garmin if you must. But troop intervention and war are not an option. Our fleets are ready for exploration. Very soon, we will add a fourth sector to our boundaries and who knows may be even a fifth in our lifetime. We cannot allow a war at this juncture. It will not be good for peace, commerce, trade and expansion above all. Why would a new sector want to join us, if we have unsettled and unresolved wars raging within?”

  “I hear you councilman,” replied KC. “Not a drop of blood will be spilt… not a life will be lost uncalled for. I assure you, peace is my directive as well. I have worked hard to keep the three sectors united and like my father before me. I WILL NOT LET THE AMU FALL. Not Today. Not Tomorrow. Not Ever.”

  “Then my work here is over,” said the councilman with content on his face. “Kenneth, the Union owes you,” added the councilman as he kept his hand on his heart. “Good bye.”

  The wall disappeared and everyone on the command deck could see KC again.

  “What happened?” asked Akil. “That was a powerful wall, I couldn’t get through.”

  “It was councilman AlPrime,” announced KC. “No war - he pleads. The council wants to expand the AMU beyond the 3rd sector. War would be untimely at this juncture.”

  “What did you say Commander?” asked Rul.

  “I accepted,” said KC. “No blood will be spilt on my watch. The AMU will be known for its just and righteous rule
. And by the universe, someday I’ll command not less than 10 sectors of the universe. But that doesn’t mean that – muck and filth like Garmin will be spared. Beings like him are a setback to the universe, and if he is involved in anything nefarious and I have a feeling he is, then… he will be brought down…”

  Everyone from KC’s team touched their uniform to randomly change color. Slightly rugged, nothing flashy. Crona transferred ‘wall credits’ into everyone’s account. The ‘wall credit’ was the currency of the AMU and of the 29th century. The richer or stronger you are, the stronger your wall.

  “Standby for location-jump,” announced Crona, “In 3..2..1.”

  * * *

  KC kept his eyes open. Everything in front of him was blurred and within a fraction of a second, he could see a huge stockpile of goods. The team was there.

  “Form a security perimeter around the Commander,” said Rul into his comn link as he could see KC and his elite guards on his wall.

  “Keep the Commander in sight but don’t go any closer. Stay a minimum 50 meters clear off him at all times.”

  KC ventured out into the market area to make himself familiar with the surroundings and randomly stopped at a shop.

  “How much?” he asked picking up a levitation rod.

  “2500 Wx,” came a blunt reply.

  “What?” uttered KC in surprise. “This little rod for 2500 Wall Xchange credits.”

  “This is a levitation rod… human,” said the shopkeeper as he stared at KC. “A levitation rod! There is not a damn thing on Xz-01 that this rod can’t lift.” The shopkeeper came out of his shop. He turned around to find a police air petrol van parked nearby with nothing less than 15 tons of load on it.

  The shopkeeper, who was a three-feet-tall ‘Monduse’ from the Mon galaxy system of the 2nd sector, placed the levitation rod under the police van and effortlessly lifted the van along with all its load on it.

  “You see this, human. Here, I gave you a demo too. Now it costs 3000 Wx. Pay it and take it,” said the Monduse with a snigger.

  “Hey Monduse… Keep my van down this instant,” shouted the police man as he saw his van up in the air.

  “Or what..!” challenged the Monduse. The policeman took out his fazer and pointed it at the Monduse’s head.

  “Or I’ll shoot your tiny head off! Keep my van down… Now!”

  “OK…” said the Monduse as he quickly pulled out the levitation rod from under the van. The van came crashing down with the 15 ton load on it completely crushing it!

  “There. I kept it down,” mocked the Monduse, as he stared back at the policeman.

  “You crazy retard. I’ll fry you,” shouted the policeman as he fired his laser at the tiny Monduse. KC ducked for cover as everyone present took out their weapons. A riot was about to start. The Monduse who was in the line of fire literally folded himself on to the ground as the laser passed on top of him. He swiftly inflated himself in an instant and flexed his back. Two large tentacles came out of his back and ploughed themselves into the ground. He then flexed his chest rapidly. Four extremely sharp triangular projectiles emerged from his chest and hurled towards the policeman and lodged into his thighs. The policeman hit the ground like a log. He couldn’t move a muscle. The Monduse slowly moved towards the policeman.

  “Not so tall now! Are you policeman?” said the Monduse as he placed his leg on the policeman’s head and simultaneously flexed his chest again to launch three more projectiles towards the policeman’s head and instantly severed his head from his body. He picked up the policeman’s head and said, “You called me…Tiny!”

  “No…No…No… Leave him,” said KC as he swiftly snatched the policeman’s headless body from under the Monduse. “Leave him.”

  “Oh really,” said the Monduse. “Well human, it’s 3000 Wx for the rod and 5000 Wx for the policeman’s head!”

  “Commander,” said the team leader. “Should we take out the crazy Monduse?”

  “Stand down…,” whispered KC into his comn link. “OK, here, take 8000 Wx and give me the head!” said KC as he placed his hand, palms open in front of the Monduse and opened a small weak wall. The Monduse walked up slowly towards KC on his tiny legs. KC’s guards readied their concealed weapons, ready to fire if the need be.

  The Monduse reached KC and opened his wall right in front of KC’s wall and transferred credit into his own wall. The Monduse confirmed his updated Wall-credits as he turned around and hurled the policeman’s head towards KC. KC jumped to a side stretching himself as much as he could, barely managing to catch the policeman’s head before it hit the ground and saved it from getting further contaminated.

  He quickly placed the head on the policeman’s body and took out a location modulator stick from his backpack and tied it around the policeman’s neck. The stick vibrated and quickly moved up and down the policeman’s head and neck, instantly repairing and stitching his tissues together.

  The policeman awkwardly got up, disoriented. He looked around and saw his car crushed under a load.

  “Who did this?” he shouted. “Who dared to rot my car?” he shouted again failing to get any response. The show was over, everyone around got back to their jobs. The policeman’s aids quickly moved him to another van and took him to sickbay. It would take him atleast 24 hours to get back his memory.

  “Commander, that was close,” said Akil. “You will have to keep a low profile. It’s a mission imperative.”

  “I am keeping a low profile Akil,” replied KC. “That’s why I let all that happen in the first place and allowed the Monduse to get away scot free. But you are right. This will not help us any way. I will lay low.”

  “Crona, jump us to the Transport control sector on this planet, where the travel logs from past several years are stored. We will find our answers there. Where are they sending the warehouses?”

  “Stand by to location jump Commander.. 3….2…1…” There was a brief blur as everything in front of KC and his team blurred once again and reappeared instantaneously. They were now in the ‘Transport log’ section.

  “Crona, hack into their system and prep up the closest spacecraft in the Transport log section for take off. That will be our escape vessel, once I get the data,” ordered KC.

  “Directive commander,” said Crona.

  “KC..! What’s going on in your mind?” said Rul worried. He knew KC had no limits. If he had to get something done, he would do it come what may.

  “Nothing much Rul,” replied KC. “I am just going to reach into the transport deck. Manually download the location log of the space where the warehouses disappeared and then feed it manually into the spacecraft which Crona is prepping up. Which will take us to that location.”

  “What!” said Akil on his comn link astonished. “Commander, you don’t have to. We already have the coordinates of the location and Crona can just location-jump all of you to that location. You don’t need an escape vessel.”

  “She can, but I want to make it look like a small-time mugging. Nothing should point towards the AMU.”

  “But Cdr, it’s much too dangerous. Without the Ghost protocol, you’ll be picked up in no time,” explained Rul.

  “No worries,” said KC calmly. “It’s a worthy goal. Worth the risk and indulgence.”

  “Directive,” announced Akil on his AMU comn link.

  “All ‘Class-E’ battle units within 30 light years to planet Xz-01, stand by to engage specific targets. Sizes varying from three feet to 15 feet. Engage in stealth mode only.” About 1500 battle units locked on the position of Cdr KC.

  “Kenneth, are you sure about this?” asked Rul once again. “This place is insanely guarded.”

  “No,” replied KC. “Not too sure!”

  “What… then don’t do it,” erupted Rul.

  “Crona, what is the guard profile outside the transport deck?” questioned KC.


  “Heavy Commander,” replied Crona. “All the guards are from the Muscl star system, they are all thickset, robust and muscular, as you know. 15 feet tall and as tough as can be…but very awkward.”

  “Give me their weak points Crona,” asked KC as he began to make a run for the transport deck which was a four-storey tower inside a huge hanger.

  “Commander, their biggest weak point is that they cannot look behind at all. They are relatively slow to move. If you avoid coming directly in front of them or to a side, you will have a 20% chance of survival,” reported Crona.

  “Hahaha… 20%!” laughed KC. “That’s a lot. I could do with 1% just as well. Rul, you know what to do!” said KC as he reached under the transport deck and peeped up. His elite guards took favourable positions on the adjoining towers to the transport deck, lying doggo and ready to fire their fazer guns if required.”

  “Alright then,” explained Rul into his comn link. “All battle units orbiting around Xz-01 will fire ‘controlled’ fazers two feet ahead of each of the guards if required, as the Supreme Commander approaches them. Remember the aim is not to kill any guard. Just to distract them while the Commander slips in and out,” explained Rul as he tracked KC on his wall. “Commander, we are standing by… You are good to go.”

  KC now carefully moved from the ground floor on to the first floor as discreetly as he could. Avoiding guards as much as he could, there was no point engaging the guards so soon. He had another three storeys to climb. KC reached the first floor and stood behind a sliding door. Just as the guard passed, he dashed behind him on to the stairs of the first floor. KC carefully climbed one stair at a time looking down and up alternately.

  When he saw a guard walking down, KC would quickly swing to a side and hide under the stair holding on to the stair-footing with his arms. As the guard would pass by, KC would quickly make his way back on to the stairs and again start his climb one step at a time. KC looked up. He was about 10 steps short of the second floor.