CHAPTER THIRTEEN
JUDGMENT
“BEFORE WE GET to the main reason for this hearing,” Salok said, “tell us why you tried to access the hidden databases!”
“I was looking for information, mother,” Emok replied.
“What kind of information?” Salok asked.
“The valuable kind,” Emok replied with respectful sarcasm.
This summons was an insult to him! How dare they! After everything he had done for the realm, this was how they repaid him? Emok did not care anymore if it was him or his new… ego… that felt slighted. As far as he was concerned there was no difference between the two of them anymore. And did that also mean he had lost the battle against the darkness? Emok was unsure which part of him was in charge. Who was he, anyway? He felt Salok’s fiery stare on him and he regained control of himself. Or was the darkness trying to hide itself from The Council in the meantime? Emok closed his eyes and heaved his shoulders.
“I was looking for information that could help me and my situation,” Emok replied politely and respectfully. “That’s all.”
Salok eased her stare on Emok. Lunok wondered how come she and the rest of The Council remained unfazed by Emok’s situation. Unless, of course, Emok was correct. The Council was indeed hiding something and if they were hiding something, it meant they had had similar situations like Emok’s before.
“Your situation,” Collok reiterated, tapping his fingers on the desk that hovered in midair. “Do you even know what your situation is?”
“Not entirely,” Emok replied. “Hence, the reason why I tried to access the secret databases. The public databases offered no viable information.”
“Those databases are secret for a reason, child!” Mulok glared. “Do you know what you could have unleashed if any of those databases were breached?”
“I was ignorant of the possibility of threats that could’ve resulted from me ‘breaching’ these databases,” Emok replied calmly. “I would never deliberately expose our realm to such ‘threats’.”
Lunok watched the exchange between Emok and The Council. He wondered why The Council was dedicating so many moments to scolding Emok instead of asking Emok the most obvious question they should have started with: how did Emok know about the existence of ‘secret databases’? He was unsure why The Council was upset at Emok for seeking information that could help him, and why Emok was not showing as much restraint as he, Lunok, had hoped Emok would.
“Your actions were rash and irresponsible, child,” Salok said. “But we are grateful nothing resulted from them.”
“If I may, mother,” Emok pleaded.
“Yes, child,” Salok answered.
“What’s happening to me?” Emok asked. “And why is it happening to me?”
Salok glanced at her counterparts, as if deciding if it was wise to answer his questions or not. Mulok and Collok nodded their approval before Salok turned and leveled her gaze at Emok.
“We do not know for certain,” The Council replied in unison.
“Honorable Council,” Lunok said. “Are you saying Emok’s situation is not the first you have witnessed?”
Lunok’s question did not flow with The Council’s reply to Emok’s question, but he thought it was important to bring it up immediately.
“There have been others, and that is part of the reason why we keep certain pieces of information hidden from the public,” Salok replied.
“Respectfully, mother, it appears you kept EVERYTHING hidden from the public database!” Lunok spat.
Salok glared at Lunok but Lunok stood his ground, as if he was daring her to do her worse. Where he found this new sense of defiance, Lunok had no idea. But he was sure he was not suffering from Emok’s affliction of the essence. He felt no darkness, no conflicts, no entity trying to take over his essence. He was desperately trying to understand why The Council was breaking the rules that were meant to maintain harmony within the realm. Lunok felt something he never conceived of feeling, especially from The Council: betrayal!
“So, what are you really hiding, mother?” Emok asked with a wry, half smile. “I see the hesitation in your demeanor. In all of your demeanors!”
“Some things are best kept secret, son,” Collok offered.
“Be that as if may, I’m trying to save myself, father,” Emok rebutted. “Your precious secret might be the cure for what ails me. The more I know, the better I stand a chance at succeeding.”
“Valid point, son,” Mulok said. “Valid point.”
“But?” Emok asked.
“There is no ‘but’, child,” Salok replied. “We are deciding on the best course of action for you. Rest assured you will get all the help you will need. You are not the first we have encountered.”
“If I may ask, mother,” Lunok spoke up. “Where are the others? If they are not here, what happened to them when you tried to ‘help’ them?”
There was a moment of silence. Lunok’s question was born out of curiosity. He did not expect to put The Council in such an uncomfortable situation. Maybe The Council had not betrayed the rest of them after all. There was a lot more at play than what The Council had just shared with them. Lunok decided to switch to something else, for the sake of… he did not know.
“You said you are deciding on the best course of action for Emok,” he said. “Could you please enlighten us some more on this?”
“I think it is only fair,” Emok joined in.
“If only you would exercise some patience,” Salok replied.
Lunok and Emok received Salok’s subtle reprimand.
“Apologies, mother,” Lunok said.
But Lunok did not mean it and neither did he care if The Council could tell.
“Very soon, child,” Salok spoke to Emok. “You will be sent to a lower realm and kept under containment until we conclude what to do. It will be for your own good and the good of everyone else.”
Salok then turned her attention towards Lunok as she summoned Team ELOHIM’s uploads on the five-dimensional hologram that formed in front of her. She tapped on the display a few times, and a single glyph separated itself from the hologram as the hologram itself disappeared. Salok tapped on the glyph, and a five-dimensional video started playing.
“Do you remember this, child,” she asked Lunok.
Lunok watched the video. Of course, he remembered! He remembered the moment of panic at the thought of Emok unleashing a full blast of Shemsu energy. He remembered how he had had to make a quick decision between ending his friend and saving him. Against very high odds, he had decided on the latter. The first burst of energy was released, but he had contained it. He remembered looking into his friend’s eyes and seeing the darkness therein.
“I remember, mother,” Lunok replied.
He knew exactly what was going to follow next. His shoulders slumped!
“It is for this reason that Emok must be contained at once,” Collok said. “We do not want a repeat of history, or worse.”
“A repeat of history?!” Lunok and Emok exclaimed at the same time.
“Do you understand, child?” Mulok asked Emok., ignoring their question.
“Yes, father,” Emok replied resignedly. “I am ready when you are.”
“Very well then,” Salok said and beckoned.
Four Shemsus teleported over to Emok.
“They will take you into a temporary holding, and you will remain there until we chose a realm for your incarceration,” Salok explained.
Emok nodded. He could feel the four Shemsus summon a containment field around him before they led him away. Lunok wanted to accompany Emok, but Collok stopped him.
“You will see him later,” Collok said. “But first, there is something you must see for yourself.”
Collok pulled up another five-dimensional hologram. He traced a few glyphs that Lunok had never seen before. Various glyphs floated out of the hologram as the hologram disappeared. Collok tapped on one of the glyphs, and a video began to play. What Lunok sa
w both shocked and paralyzed him. Collok then played the second video and the second video was even more horrendous than the first. The videos showed evidences of the destructive ability of the darkness. Collok closed the second video and went for the next video.
“I think I have seen enough, father,” Lunok said.
“Do you now see why these are kept a secret?” Mulok asked. “Imagine how Emok could have reacted, knowing this could be his doing, or worse.”
“We do not want to incite that entity that is taking over his essence,” Salok interjected. “You did a phenomenal job out there, son! If we did not know any better, we could have concluded that you have had prior experience with such situations before. For now, containment is our best option. Your four Shemsu brethren are part of an elite team we have trained for situations like these. They, too, are part of our secret database.”
Lunok wanted to say something but he could not find the words.
“For now, Emok must be kept calm and contained always,” Salok added. “Do you understand, child?”
“I understand, mother,” Lunok replied.
“Given your remarkable display of leadership out there,” Mulok said. “We would like you to participate in helping to cure Emok. We will deeply value your input, should you decide to participate.”
Lunok was even more surprised beyond belief. But he quickly regained his composure. He was not going to let such a great opportunity pass him by.
“It would be my honor, father,” Lunok said and bowed.
“You still do not understand the full ramifications of your actions, child,” Collok rebutted. “You singlehandedly and selflessly saved an entire dimension and more. So, the honor is ours.”
“Thank you, father,” Lunok said weakly.
“Thank YOU, son!” Salok said.
“So, can he really be saved?” Lunok asked.
There was a moment of silence.
“There is hope,” Salok replied.
“Hope?” Lunok asked. “Has anyone ever been saved before?”
There was another moment of silence, a herald to unwelcome tidings.
“No, child,” Salok replied. “No one has ever been saved before. That is why we must determine an appropriate course of action; something different from our previous courses of action.”
Lunok heaved his shoulders. He understood the situation was beyond the control of any Shemsu and that it was a lot more serious than he had previously imagined it to be. If The Council had failed to save the others, then what chance did he have to achieve the unachievable? But Lunok would not give up on his friend. Hope was slim but there was still hope!
“So what is really going on with him now?” Lunok asked The Council.
“He is losing his Shemsu essence, to put it simply,” Collok answered.
“His Shemsu essence has become tainted in polarity; between the light and the dark,” Mulok added. “And we, the Shemsus, are not polarized by nature.”
“And the darkness is overpowering the light, as well as Emok’s essence,” Salok interjected. “Soon, Emok will be gone and only the darkness will remain. That is why he appears to not behave like himself sometimes.”
“So he’s polarized and aligned with the dark side,” Lunok said.
“That is correct,” Salok said.
“And this darkness is an entity that is taking over his Shemsu essence!”
“Correct!”
“So how do we address that?” Lunok asked.
“That is the tricky part,” Collok answered. “It is not for us to address it. It is Emok who has to address the situation.”
“We cannot infiltrate his Shemsu essence and work from within his psyche,” Mulok interjected. “The dark entity will not let us. We can only offer guidance so he can re-polarize himself and regain control of his Shemsu essence. Even that has proven unsuccessful so far.”
“We do not know how long it will take before the entity assumes full control of Emok,” Collok said. “We only have that span of moment to act. And that is not even our biggest problem. Our biggest problem is that this dark entity can mimic the essence of its host so perfectly that even the host may not be aware it is being taken over by this entity. The host thinks the dark entity is part of its essence and thus becomes identified with it. When the dark entity completes its takeover, then the host becomes completely identified with this dark entity and hence, the polarization is perfect and complete. At this point, the host is beyond redemption. This is what Emok is facing right now.”
“So we have to get to Emok before he is completely gone,” Lunok spoke more to himself than to The Council.
“We have to find a way to stop this dark entity from taking complete control over Emok, yes,” Salok corrected Lunok. “That way, Emok will have a better chance at re-polarizing himself.”
Lunok bowed his head as his mind raced wildly. Something about Salok’s words did not sit right with him. The Council observed Lunok silently.
“You’re wrong, mother!” Lunok exclaimed suddenly.
“Excuse me?” Salok was taken aback by Lunok’s statement.
Lunok raised his head and met the confused stares of The Council.
“Your approach is wrong,” Lunok said. “You have been trying to stop the darkness from taking over the essence of its hosts, correct?”
“Yes, basically,” Salok replied.
“I now see why you have been unsuccessful,” Lunok said.
“Explain yourself, child!” Collok ordered.
“You said it yourself; the entity adapts and mimics its host’s essence, right?”
“Indeed,” Collok replied.
“So every time you tried to stop it, it simply adapted,” Lunok said. “The more you tried, the more it adapted, albeit it adapted even faster. That’s why you failed. And that is why we have to shift our focus.”
“What are you saying, child?” Mulok asked leaning forward.
Lunok had struck a chord with The Council. They understood what he meant and were curious to hear what he had to say next.
“We have to reach out to Emok himself, but not by trying to stop the dark entity,” Lunok explained, as renewed hope coursed through his being. “If we can get to Emok himself, then Emok can re-polarize himself. If Emok can start re-polarizing himself, then the dark entity will not be able to mimic Emok’s essence fast enough to regain control because Emok would have already had a taste of this dark essence. This means, Emok’s essence would have undergone a transformation that would easily adapt faster than the dark entity can mimic it. As such, the dark entity will be kicked out. Do you get what I am trying to say?”
The Council members glanced at one another before Salok spoke.
“We follow your logic, child,” Salok said. “But we still do not see a solution at hand. You have only given us a hypothesis of sorts.”
“I understand, mother,” Lunok said. “I was getting to that.”
Lunok stepped forward. He was unsure why he did that, though.
“First, we must understand this dark entity,” Lunok said. “And the best way to understand something is from experience.”
The Council moved uncomfortably in their seats. Lunok’s insinuation was the last thing they expected to hear, especially since his recent ‘promotion’.
“We are uncomfortable with this, child,” Collok said.
“I understand the risk, father,” Lunok replied. “But please, all I need is your blessing… and unrestricted access to every database in this realm. I have a lot of research work to do.”
There was a brief pause from The Council until finally, Salok spoke.
“You make a strong case, child,” Salok said. “You shall have everything you need. We await your proposal, the sooner the better.”
“Thank you, mother,” Lunok said.
The Council nodded at Lunok.
“Dismissed,” The Council chorused.
And Lunok teleported away, burning with renewed hope at the prospect of a solution to his friend
’s situation.
THE END OF PART ONE
PART TWO
CONTAINMENT
LUNOK WALKED TOWARDS Emok’s containment chamber. It was guarded by four Shemsus who had summoned an energy field around the containment chamber. Emok seemed calm, but that was only on the surface. Lunok met Emok’s eyes and managed a smile.
“How are you doing, old friend?” Lunok asked.
“I honestly do not know, old friend,” Emok replied.
“I understand,” Lunok said and stepped closer.
“Soon, you will be transported to your realm of confinement while I work on a solution for your condition,” Lunok said. “I think I may have an idea on how to rid you of this entity.”
There was a glint of excitement in Emok’s eyes as Lunok spoke.
“What do you mean?” Emok asked.
“I spoke with The Council,” Lunok said. “They showed me some of the files in the hidden databases you were trying to access. They preferred not to show you the files because of certain concerns.”
“What kind of concerns?” Emok asked.
“The kind with cataclysmic possibilities,” Lunok replied.
Emok nodded his understanding.
“The Council told me they wanted me to be a part of the solution,” Lunok added. “They were impressed with the way I handled the situation in Celestia. Yes, that one.”
Lunok smiled kindly and Emok managed a weak smile.
“To sum up, I understand why they had been unsuccessful with helping our fellow brethren stricken with the same affliction, brother,” Lunok continued.
“I’m not even going to ask what happened after their unsuccessful attempts, Emok said and shook his head.
Lunok paused. He realized that he may have inadvertently created a situation that could aggravate Emok; but Emok was too resigned to the hopelessness of his situation to react to Lunok’s possible faux pas, though.
“I wonder how they did it,” Emok continued. “Given that there are no records of any Shemsu’s existence coming to an end.”
Again, Lunok was silent. He could only hope that Emok’s thought process did not translate to a cause for concern. The four specially trained Shemsus, and him, were there to ensure that. Still…
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