“Consider having a code name,” Shi’mon said. “Every agent has theirs.”
“Done, boss,” Patrick grinned. “Can you guess?”
“We should return now,” Shi’mon said after a heavy sigh. “After you.”
Patrick nodded and teleported the two of them back to Shi’mon’s basement. He looked at the time on the clock on the wall.
“Hold on! When we left, it was 1:18 pm,” he said. “Now it’s 12:22 pm? How long were we out there for, boss? Almost a whole day?”
“Try six days,” Shi’mon replied with a chuckle.
“Holy crap! Six days?” Patrick exclaimed. “But it felt like a few hours!”
“You’ll get used to it, son,” Shi’mon said and made to head for the stairs.
Patrick froze. Shi’mon just addressed him as ‘son’. That meant more than a lot coming from Shi’mon. He knew Shi’mon meant it. In the culture of Patrick’s tribe, when an elder refers to you as son, not in the generic sense, but in the actual sense of the word, it was always a great honor.
“Boss,” Patrick called out to Shi’mon.
“Yes, Patrick,” Shi’mon turned around to face Patrick.
“I haven’t sparked the ethers into something yet,” Patrick said. “I was hoping you would be present during my first successful attempt, please.”
Shi’mon nodded and walked towards Patrick. Patrick sparked the ethers into a small, wooden table with two chairs. And then, he sparked the ethers into a loaf of bread and a container of liquid chocolate.
“What is that?” Shi’mon asked, unable to mask his confusion.
“This is Kumba bread, sir,” Patrick explained. “Bread made from Kumba, the town where my father lived before he passed away. It’s my favorite kind of bread in the realm. Sorry there’s no wine to break this bread with, but I assure you that this chocolate is a much better option, the best chocolate known to humans and I was hoping you would share with me, sir. Please.”
Patrick never imagined Shi’mon, the leader of the O. R., the toughest man he had ever met, being at a loss for words. Patrick smiled gratefully.
“It would be my honor, sir,” Patrick continued and gestured at the empty seat in front of him. “Please?”
Shi’mon met Patrick’s gaze. There was more said in the silence between mentor and mentee than words could ever describe. Shi’mon nodded.
“The honor is mine, son,” Shi’mon said and eased himself into his seat.
Patrick summoned a bread knife, sliced the huge loaf of bread into smaller pieces and spread a slice with some chocolate. He offered the slice to Shi’mon, who took a bite out of it. Shi’mon tried desperately to act casual but failed.
“You were right, son,” Shi’mon said. “This really is the best bread I’ve ever had in my entire life. And the chocolate is to live for!”
“Would I ever lie to you, Father?” Patrick asked playfully and winked.
“Let’s just eat,” Shi’mon said and shook his head in amusement.
Mentor and mentee sparked the ethers into more loaves of bread and chocolate. They could spark the food directly into their stomachs but there was something about sharing a meal and eating like regular humans that was both pleasurable and grounding. And as the hours ticked away, mentor and mentee sparked a new kind of relationship that was beyond business and had everything to do with one thing: family!
CHAPTER FIFTEEN
SEEKING SOLUTIONS
“WHAT HAPPENED, CHILD?” Mulok asked.
“I do not know, father,” Lunok replied. “I have given it a lot of thought and all I can think of was that we were too late.”
Lunok blamed himself for Emok’s loss to the entity. So many questions to answer. So many emotions to deal with. But why? Shemsus do not wrestle with emotions like he was doing recently. Shemsus do not feel like he was. And these were recent. Why? What were the entity’s words again?
You will know me soon enough!
What did the entity mean by that?
I swear by the entity that I am and the essence I had taken over.
That was a very loaded statement.
I will be free again.
Such confidence! But while Lunok was certain there was no way the entity would escape incarceration, he was not going to dismiss this entity’s boast. Was this the same entity that had infected his other brethren? Or was this different? Too many questions and no answers.
I will destroy you all!
Now that felt like it was more than a promise of a personal vendetta. And if that really were the case…
“The darkness’ victory over Emok was not your fault, child,” Salok said.
“But it won, mother,” Lunok rebutted weakly.
“There was nothing you could do,” Salok countered. “It was not a matter of how. It was a matter of when. We were racing against moments and our enemy has proven to be a lot tougher than we expected.”
“Also, it was best it happened while he was already in containment,” Collok said. “You have watched the videos. This could have played out very differently. You were great out there, again”
Lunok agreed with The Council, it was not his fault that the darkness won. It was not even Emok’s fault. No one, other than the afflicted Shemsus knew how it felt being taken over by the darkness. It was unfortunate that none of them were available to provide more insight into this darkness. Coincidence? Lunok heaved his shoulders. The Council and everyone else involved in his coverup were guilty of mismanagement. But he could not accuse them of premeditated actions. Lunok heaved his shoulders again. This new ‘situation’ brewing within him was really starting to get to him. Anyway, he would address it later.
“Thank you, father,” Lunok expressed his gratitude.
Collok nodded.
Lunok was uncertain if there was still anything else he could do for Emok, if his friend was even still in there, somewhere. He had hoped to find a solution BEFORE the takeover to PREVENT the takeover. Alas, he had failed. He had locked eyes with Emok right before he had finalized the incarceration. He had seen the darkness and this was much different from the darkness he had seen in Emok’s eyes when they were in Celestia. This version of the darkness felt far more powerful and dangerous than the one he had seen in Celestia. In Celestia, he had seen a little of Emok inside those eyes. But on that realm of incarceration, Lunok felt no trace of Emok’s essence, only Emok’s Shemsu form was left.
Now that his friend was gone, or better yet, his friend’s essence was gone, what would he do? What would be his new mission? He may not be able to save his friend anymore, but a promise was a promise. Besides, there was no telling when the next Shemsu would fall to the darkness. He may have failed Emok, but he was not going to fail in finding a way to defeat the darkness.
“Emok may be gone, but the darkness still looms,” Salok said, as if reading Lunok’s thoughts, which she did not. “Therefore, we still have work to do. If you are still up for it, our offer to have you on the team still stands. We still need a solution. Our species does not know how to handle the darkness.”
“Thank you, mother,” Lunok said. “I would like to begin immediately.”
The Council shot glances at one another. They were surprised and impressed at Lunok’s zeal and unbridled focus.
“As you wish, child,” Collok said.
Mulok raised his right palm towards Lunok. A golden glyph floated from his palm towards Lunok. Lunok received the glyph with his right palm and nodded.
“You now have unrestricted access to every single Shemsu database,” Mulok said. “If there is anything else you may need, do not hesitate to ask us.”
“Thank you, Council,” Lunok said and bowed.
“Dismissed!” Collok said and Lunok teleported away.
Team ELOHIM was now Team LOHIM. While Lunok was away, the team had tried to do some research of their own regarding Emok’s situation without success. So they hoped Lunok would have answers to their questions. Lunok joined them at their office and took se
veral moments to answer their questions. But he was careful to omit the parts about the secret databases. He trusted his team, but there was no telling how they would react to such information. Worst of all, if word got out to the rest of the Shemsu community…
“We have a new mission, team,” Lunok said. “We must find out everything about this entity called the darkness. Research as much as you can.”
“What are we even looking for?” Obok asked. “This is a first for us all.”
“It is, Obok,” Hikok said. “I don’t even know where to start.”
“Anywhere, any dimension, any realm, whatever you can do,” Lunok replied.
“That’s as broad as Creation itself,” Mashok said.
“Welcome to the team,” Izok said. “I will start by creating a database.”
“Great start,” Lunok said. “We’ll share whatever we find on there and hold regular meetings to assess our progress.”
The rest of the team concurred. Lunok knew he was probably going to have the best chance at finding a solution, given the amount of resources he had at his disposal. The rest of them would be chasing ethers in the span of Creation. As impossible as the situation appeared to be, Lunok was motivated by one thing: hope. And he wanted to give this darkness a taste of its own essence.
Team LOHIM went to work immediately to find a solution for the darkness. The methodology or plan of action was unknown yet. But before they could come up with a plan of action, they would have to first identify what this darkness was about. From there, maybe addressing the situation would be a lot easier. Thus, Team LOHIM combed through every public database for anything remotely connected to the darkness. There was absolutely nothing in the public databases. Finally, at the point of giving up, the team decided to congregate with Lunok and try to reason through the situation.
“So we have nothing to go by,” Obok said in near-frustration.
“We did our best, Obok,” Mashok argued and turned to face Lunok. “Did you find anything on your end, Lunok?”
“Every database I accessed only had information regarding what a tainted Shemsu could do,” Lunok replied. “Nothing about the darkness.”
“So we do not really know what we are researching,” Hikok interjected. “All we know is what it can do. Two steps forward, three steps backwards.”
Suddenly, Lunok seemed to have a moment of clarity. His eyes widened and he grinned broadly as he hunched over the table. The others all zoomed in on him as he began talking.
“What if the best way to study the darkness is to have a taste of it?” Lunok asked and was pleased to observe the expressions of confusion on the faces of his comrades. “What if to understand the darkness, one has to experience it?”
“But that would mean one would end up like Emok as well, right?” Izok countered and there was a murmur of agreement across the table.
“A possibility,” Lunok agreed. “But my assumption is that, Emok and the others ended up the way they did because they are Shemsu. They had never been tainted before, most likely never even heard of that term and so they could not handle the situation properly. In the purity of our essence, the darkness thrives unhindered, mimicking the Shemsu essence and completely taking over as well.
“But what if, we deliberately existed in a dimension of a much, much lower vibrational frequency than ours? What if we transferred our essences to a different dimension which contains realms populated by creatures who are already polarized from inception or from at least a very young age? Then polarization would not be such a foreign notion anymore and, after one has learned enough about polarization, one can return home. I’m going on a hunch that if one lives in a lower realm and have a polarized essence, then maybe one can handle the darkness better when one returns as a Shemsu.”
There was a brief pause as the rest of the team pondered on Lunok’s words. Lunok was making some strong suppositions but, as expected, the team was quite skeptical of his theory.
“Comrades, I understand this is very risky, but the more you think about it, the more you realize that it might work,” Lunok continued to explain himself. “Actually, I do believe that it will work. However, the more I think about it, the more I realize that, once this is successful-”
“IF this is successful,” Obok countered more out of concern for his friend than out of spite.
Plus, he was simply speaking what was on everybody else’s mind.
“Fair enough, Obok,” Lunok conceded with a smile. “If this is successful, it will represent a preventive measure for potential Shemsus and even other beings who may suffer adversely from polarization.”
“Case in point, the angels,” Mashok interjected.
“Exactly,” Lunok concurred. “So, once I transfer my existence to a lower dimension-”
“Hold it right there, Lunok!” Hikok exclaimed. “What are you saying?”
“I am saying that I will be the one to transfer my existence to a lower dimension,” Lunok explained confidently, even though he sounded more confident than he actually felt.
“You are not serious, are you?” Hikok asked.
“I would not ask anyone else to undertake such a task,” Lunok replied. “I would ask for your support and encouragement, despite your hesitation.”
Lunok leaned back in his seat before he continued presenting his case.
“Look, comrades, I understand this sounds risky. It may seem unsettling and you all are just looking out for me. I am very grateful for that.”
Lunok heaved his shoulders.
“But I cannot ask any of you to venture into such an unknown territory. This is a risk I must take and this risk will be documented for all to see. If I am successful, imagine what this would mean for us all! And if I am unsuccessful, the worst that could happen would be that I may be trapped in the lower dimension until my physical existence expires. But I shall definitely return home eventually.”
“But you do not even know that for certain,” Izok countered.
“And that has already been established, Izok,” Lunok rebutted. “Nothing is certain and there is no information on what I am about to undertake. But, even though we have no documented data to go by, I have something that stands above all else: faith. I strongly believe that this will work, comrades! I really do and I am focusing on prospects of success as opposed to the possibilities of failure. I really would love to have your support in this. At least, your support will keep me going even if I may not be aware of it during my transference of essence to a lower realm. Can I count on your support?”
Lunok seized a moment to gaze into the eyes of each of his comrades.
“I support you, Lunok,” Mashok was the first to respond.
“Me too,” Obok chimed in and, one-by-one, the rest of the team did the same.
Lunok expressed his most sincere gratitude. He just had to present his theory to The Council now and he was aware that The Council may not be as supportive as his team had been.
Lunok then informed The Council that he had a possible solution in mind. The Council agreed to meet with him. When he arrived at the chamber, there was no one there, though. So Lunok waited and as he waited, he ran possible scenarios in his mind about the kind of questions The Council would ask him, his possible responses, their follow-up questions, his follow-up responses, and all the like. He was prepared for stiff opposition and even the possible rejection of his proposal. When Lunok asked himself what he would do if The Council rejected his proposal, he had no answer. He heaved his shoulders and decided to stay his mind as he continued waiting.
Salok, Collok and Mulok arrived a few moments later and did not bother to offer and apology for their tardiness. After all, they were even doing Lunok a favor by gracing him with their presence, even though they were the ones who sought Lunok’s counsel in the matter. Maybe it was just Lunok’s mind doing some over thinking. The Council talked in telepathic whispers with one another for a few more moments as if deliberating. Finally, they turned their attention towards Lunok.
“Child,” Salok started saying, “when we asked you to find a solution, we expected you to find one that could work!”
Lunok felt the first wave of a verbal onslaught heading his way.
“But what you are presenting us now is nothing short of ambiguity and theories that have absolutely no bearing on the subject matter.”
“I beg to differ, mother,” Lunok argued. “These theories have absolutely everything to do with the subject matter.”
“But there is no record of this or anything remotely similar to this anywhere, child,” Salok rebutted but was a little taken aback when Lunok grinned instead.
“As there are no records anywhere of Shemsus taken over by the darkness?” Lunok offered a rebuttal of his. “All we have are records of our comrade Shemsus under the influence of this darkness, as well as what happens when the darkness finally takes over. But there are no records whatsoever of what this darkness really is. We just know it takes over the Shemsu essence but we do not know anything about its nature or its origins. That’s why I think Project Falling-”
“Falling?” Collok asked, a little surprised at the name Lunok had chosen.
“Yes, ‘Falling’,” Lunok concurred. “Because I will be falling from a higher dimension to a lower one, basically. May I please continue?”
“Yes, you may, child,” Collok replied.
“Thank you, father,” Lunok said. “That is why I think Project Falling will provide the best opportunity for me to experience the darkness in a much subtler form so that upon my return here, I would have had better training and awareness of this entity. Therefore, I will be able to deal with it and overcome it, should there ever be a situation in which I find myself going through some polarization of my own while in my Shemsu state.”
Celestial Crisis Page 13
