The End Of The World

by Lamees Alhassar

  They were then marched out from the metal landing pad.

  CHAPTER FOUR

  She felt his hand on her shoulder and jumped. For a brief moment she had experienced fear. But when the strong arms circled around her waist, she relaxed.

  “I got you again, didn’t I?” the deep, masculine voice said.

  “Yes,” she nodded. “But you know you are always getting me and that is unfair.”

  Kristen turned and kissed William, her fiancé. “So, what is my baby cooking this hot afternoon?” William had asked.

  “Your favourite—fried rice and chicken.” “You keep on spoiling me,” William said with a smile. “When are we going to eat your favourite?” She smiled and reached out to caress his face. “Soon, darling,” she replied.

  Soon. She jumped up from the floor with a start. She looked around her. The cell where she lay was dark. There was no window. The only illumination was being provided by a small light source in the ceiling.

  Kristen shook her head as if it was possible to shake away the darkness. It was not. She must have been dreaming. She could not tell how long she was asleep. But there was no doubt she must have been exhausted. Her mind went back to the events of the recent past. Kristen was sure several hours must have elapsed since they had arrived at Gualdion Protectorate.

  After they had been herded off the metal landing pad, they had been transported in hovercrafts that looked like a long bus. Some of the aliens had accompanied them to this facility. From outside, it looked like a factory. The walls outside were high and it had large metal gates which slid open in opposite directions when they had arrived. They met more of the aliens who were armed with similar-looking rifles.

  Each of her crew members was placed in a separate cell and the door was locked. There was no window, which meant there was no way to see what was outside. The door was made of some very thick metal. It opened and closed by sliding into the wall. There was no other item in the room except for the hard floor.

  Her mind went back to the dream she had just had. What really was the fate of Earth at this moment? Kristen was wondering.

  What was going to be their fate in this place?

  For a moment she felt like screaming and crying out loud.

  What type of mission did NASA send them on? First they had been wandering in search of an empty planet. Then they arrived at Tiangrit. Then they were running away from a missile. Now they were captives of a race of female alien warriors.

  And they still had to get back on their mission.

  Hope and salvation.

  When would they be able to get back on their mission?

  She tried to bury her head in her hand, but instead was only able to hold the helmet which was protecting it. She could not take off her helmet in this strange world to even wipe a tear.

  The door slid open. Kristen sat up as she watched a guard step into her room.

  “Get up,” she said. “The Colonel would like to meet with you all immediately.” Kristen followed her out of the room into what appeared to be a corridor. She joined her other crew members, who had also been summoned from their cells. Kristen checked to see if they were all present. They were, and they all seemed delighted to see one another.

  “How long were we locked up?” Kristen was asking Mahmud as they were led away. “I really cannot say, Captain,” he replied. “Maybe twelve hours. I slept most of the time. Depression has a way of making me fall asleep.”

  “Is it just you or all of us?” Lynda asked. “I doubt if anyone would have been awake after all that ordeal and fright. It is not possible.”

  “Well, I think we are in luck so far,” Kristen stated. “Really? Why do you say that?” Mahmud asked.

  “Well, for one, they have not killed any of us,” Kristen replied. “Maybe you mean: not yet,” Lynda added. “I think someone is forgetting we were shot at by a missile which was meant to kill us.”

  “We cannot really say for sure,” Kristen stated. “It probably could have been a plan.”

  “And probably the plan was to blow us out of the sky, right?” Mahmud asked. “Not that. Everybody has their own way of judging potential threats. Some might use aggression, putting into full practice the ‘offense being the best defence strategy’,” Kristen replied.

  “Some sort of aggression indeed,” Lynda stated. “What about the Mildans? They did not send a missile to welcome us.”

  “But they still had their fleet there to confront us when we arrived from the space jump,” Kristen pointed out. “They could have also chosen to blow us away with missiles if they wanted to. But they chose not to.”

  “So these Gualdions prefer to shoot first and ask questions later,” Lynda added.

  “Maybe it is what works for them,” Kristen replied. “We will soon find out.”

  “How did we ever get into this mess?” Mahmud was asking.

  “When you agreed to sign up for the Atlantis Explorer Programme of NASA,” Kristen replied. Mahmud glanced at her. “Captain, I see that you are enjoying yourself. Well, for your information, I never signed up for any of this.”

  “Actually, none of us did, Mahmud,” Kristen pointed out. “It is rather unfortunate that things have turned out this way. But we cannot begin to blame anybody.”

  “The mission is completely messed up for good,” Lynda stated. “First they give us wrong coordinate. Next we cannot get those who gave us the wrong coordinates. And after that it becomes a long slide into anarchy and madness before we end up in a den with hot alien warriors,” Mahmud said.

  “Hot?” Kristen repeated. “Did I hear you say hot?” “Yes, Captain, you heard me well,” Mahmud nodded. “Or was I mistaken?” Kristen glanced at one of the guards escorting them. She watched as her behind was moving from side to side as the alien moved.

  Lynda cleared her throat. “From what I can see, I think the man is right. They are hot; or don’t you think so, Captain?”

  Kristen shook her head. “You men.”

  “What? What do you mean by you men?” Mahmud asked defensively. “Mahmud, what is really wrong with you? Here we are: prisoners, captives, hostages of some alien race, and all you can think about is how hot your captors are?”

  Mahmud shrugged. “It is a man thing, you know? Besides, you never know, it could work in our favour to be appreciative of our captors’ looks.”

  “I hope all your ogling will not backfire,” Kristen remarked.

  Mahmud shook his head. “No, it never does.” They were led into an open field where there were some more aliens. They were all still carrying their weapons and as soon as they came to the location, the crew members were surrounded. There must have been at least thirty of these aliens on this field.

  When they arrived on the field, they were forced to sit down on the ground. Kristen and her crew members obeyed without complaining. Kristen and her colleagues knew it was futile to resist whatever treatment was going to be meted out to them. They still did not know what the intention of their captors was and neither did they have the strength nor courage to escape from them.

  Even if they were to escape, where would they escape to?

  After they had sat down, one of the aliens stepped forward. She was holding a staff. It was the colonel. “Nivrus people,” she began, “you are welcome once again to our Gualdion Protectorate. Like I told you earlier, as of this moment, you are all my prisoners. We would like to know what mission of yours brought you into this part of space.”

  Kristen raised her hand. “May I speak?”

  “Who are you?” Colonel Havlun asked.

  “I am the captain of that ship. My name is Kristen.”

  “Okay. Go ahead. Answer my question,” the colonel stated. “I am sure you already know about our world. Planet Earth—or Nivrus, as it is better known—is doomed. My kind sent us on a mission to search for another world where we could relocate.”

  “What?” the colonel asked. “You mean you are a group of explorers?” “Well, you could say that,” Kriste
n replied. “We are looking for another world so I guess that makes us explorers.”

  “You must be lying,” the colonel insisted. “How can you be in search of another world? Where has there ever been an empty or uninhabited world out here?”

  “We really have no other choice,” Kristen stated. “We are our world’s only hope for survival.” “I do not believe you. So, assuming you found this new world, what were you going to do? Simply chase away its inhabitants and take it over? And then you would call your fellow humans to come and join you, and the plundering and destruction of such a world would commence.”

  “No, Colonel. Our leaders would not do such a thing! I do not think our leaders will ever follow that path again. They have learnt their lesson with what happened to our world. No one would ever attempt to deliberately destroy the new world.”

  “It is easy for you to say,” the colonel stated. “At your level, you would not be able to see what your rulers can see. You are all simply pawns, scouts sent out in search of what their rulers will use to their heart’s content.”

  “Honestly, Colonel, you are mistaken. We are people of peace and we do not mean any harm to anyone.”

  “I had a different view of you when we came across you earlier. My impression was that you must be spies.”

  “But who could we be spying for?” Kristen asked. “Those wretched people of Milda,” Colonel Havlun retorted.

  “No, that is wrong. They only offered some help to us.”

  “Help?” the colonel repeated. “What type of help?” “They simply gave us directions. And when you sent us your message, they assisted us in decoding it and warning us about it. That was before you fired your missile.”

  “Maybe you are not spies after all. There is no way the people of Milda would use you to do their dirty work. You are too weak, inexperienced, and naïve. Maybe I am going to believe you. We have scanned your ship and could not find any incriminating item on board.”

  “Thank you, Colonel. We really were not what you were thinking,” Kristen said. In her mind, she was relieved their mistaken identity was resolved.

  “However, you are still going to remain under my custody. I plan on using you to accomplish some of my goals.”

  “But, Colonel,” Kristen protested. “Our world needs us. We need to—” “Silence, Captain!” the colonel ordered. “What are you complaining about? You don’t expect me to just let you go. After all you must have seen, you would probably go and tell the entire Union where we are precisely located. And then they will start looking for us. But can they even dare to do so? I doubt it. Our kind has always brought fear into the consciousness of the Union. Still, I cannot allow you to go away. This is why I am going to use you for my own ends.”

  Colonel Havlun glanced at the crew members seated on the ground. “Besides, if I were to allow you to go, where would you think you are going to go to? Do you have any idea?”

  Kristen remembered what King Zeropta had said about the makers.

  “We had an idea of where we were going to,” Kristen replied. “You did? And where would that be?”

  “To find the makers.”

  Colonel Havlun laughed out loud. “You really must be insane,” she replied. “Whoever gave you such a crazy idea? Was it King Zeropta?”

  “Yes, he told us about them,” Kristen stated. “But he expressed doubt on our being able to locate them.” “Of course you cannot locate them just like that. But assuming you were able to locate them, what did you plan on doing?”

  “They are the makers. They can repair our world.” “After you have destroyed your planet, you think the makers will simply repair it for you? So you would destroy it again knowing you could always go and plead for them to put it back into shape?”

  “Colonel, we really do not have any other option. It was either we searched for another planet or we looked for the makers.”

  “You humans are even more foolish than I thought you would be. For so long, the entire galaxy felt that your kind was populated by visionary people. So many other kinds were willing to partner with you. But when they came close, what did they see? They realized things are not always the way you think they are. Mankind was made of wicked and dangerous people. I mean, just look at the atrocities you have committed against your own kind all through time. And see the ultimate result of that self-wickedness?”

  “We have learnt our lesson. We are going to change,” Kristen replied. “I can only imagine you might probably change,” Colonel Havlun stated. “Anyway, you are going to have to earn your right to be set free.”

  “You are going to set us free?” Kristen repeated. Colonel Havlun nodded. “But on my conditions.” “What conditions?”

  “You are going to accompany my crew as we go in search of the Seeds of Life.” “The Seeds of what?” Kristen repeated.

  “Life. The Seeds of Life,” Colonel Havlun replied. “What are these seeds?” Kristen asked.

  “That is a good question,” the colonel replied.

  “Ages ago, long before our worlds and galaxies were created, the makers were dwelling in this entire entity we presently live in. Legend says they are very supreme and powerful beings who can create things simply by the power of thought and consciousness. The three of them work together and complement one another. One of them is charged with light, another with water, and the last with sand. It is said that these three elements are the building blocks of any material you can think of.”

  “What about air?” Kristen asked. “Isn’t air supposed to be one of the elements?”

  “Air is a derivative of water,” Colonel Havlun remarked. “I thought it was the other way round—water comes from air, or a combination of different variants of air.”

  “You have a lot to learn, Nivrus woman,” the colonel said. “Anyway, as I was saying. Light, water, and sand. Those were the three makers and what they symbolized. They had existed for eons upon eons, enjoying the company of one another. But as with all things, they soon became bored and decided to make worlds. These worlds were supposed to be for their pleasure. In other words, they wanted to have playthings. The same way a child wants toys. The only difference is, the makers wanted more than ordinary toys. So they decided to make the universe, populating it with several galaxies upon galaxies. In order not to make them too similar and monotonous, they began to populate each of these galaxies with solar systems; and each of the solar systems with planets. In each one, they put certain distinguishing characteristics. For example, on your planet, and those of the others in your solar system, there was an overabundance of sand. If you go to the Ariando solar system there is an abundance of water, and at the Intiylve solar system there is lots and lots of light.”

  “Most of the planets in our solar system are not just sand,” Kristen pointed out. “You have more of rock and gravel.”

  “Which are other forms of sand. The basic building blocks of a rocky mountain are sand. Sand that has undergone transformation. The same way too in the Ariando system. Some of the planets are virtually covered in ice. But we all know that ice is simply water that has been frozen. Likewise in the Intiylve system, you have light of various forms and character. Now, the fact of the matter is this: each of these worlds was not supposed to be left on their own. The supreme beings, the makers, could not simply leave them and go around tending to each one of them. This was why they decided to create life forms by a combination of all of their powers—light, water, and sand. Each form of life was given certain characteristics which made it possible for them to dwell and exist in their own world. Just like you on your own Nivrus. You can survive without the need of these masks you are putting on. For me and my people here in the Gualdion Protectorate, we can survive as we are. But assuming we were to come to your world and try to breathe your air without some kind of filter, we would surely be dead within a matter of seconds. And that is true for all other beings on their respective planets. You could say the makers deliberately created the worlds with diversity.”

&
nbsp; “What about differences in the people who live within these worlds?” Kristen asked. “That is simply adaptation and mutation amongst the species of a race,” the colonel replied. “It is not as prominent as when you compare races from different worlds.”

  “I see. King Zeropta told us of a similar tale as well with regards to the makers,” Kristen added. “Only, he did not elaborate as much as you have. He mainly highlighted the fact that since they were the source of all life and existence, they could be the source of our solution.”

  “Exactly,” the colonel noted. “They are the source of all solutions because life as we know it flows from and through them. And this brings me to the reason why we need the Seeds of Life. You see, it has been said that once the makers wanted to populate any planet with a life form, they did so with the Seeds of Life. What they simply did was to plant these seeds into sand and water and provide sufficient light. Eventually, the seeds will germinate and become the form of life that is suited to that planet. You can compare it to your knowledge of science. Two similar seeds which are planted in different conditions will not germinate in the same way, isn’t it so?”

  Kristen nodded. “Yes, you are right.”

  “And that is what gave birth to the different life forms we have in the different worlds. We are all from the same seeds but were cultivated in different environments and under different conditions. For you on Nivrus, I will say you had everything for yourselves. The makers were gracious enough to not only bless you with a seed, but they made it possible for you to recreate and reproduce yourselves.”

  “You mean reproduction?” Kristen asked. “Yes, Captain,” the colonel nodded. “Not all worlds have been as lucky as your world at Nivrus. You see, today you are all living witnesses of the destruction that is already befalling your world. It is only a matter of time before the makers will respond. And I am sure they will not spare you for your transgressions to yourselves.”

  “The planet is already dead,” Kristen pointed out. “The last time we were there it was already falling out of orbit, slipping dangerously closer to the Sun. What other punishment could be worse than that?”