The Phugwak planet: A Journey To Another Possibility

by Ayman Ghalit

  He uncuffed him, and took few steps backward while taking aim at Gael, who felt utterly uncomfortable. But, somehow, relief slowly thrived in their chest whenever they hear the sound of the key click uncuffing their hands. Mendoza ordered Gael, Jack, and Kais to dig a deep and a wide hole in the ground. And ordered Carl, Bob, and Mort to go and drag the dead bodies to here. He informed them that they have to collect every scattered piece from their bodies; blasted brains, cracked skulls, and disjointed legs. The first group started to dig after being threatened that they must do it without trying to act heroically. The second group found difficulty in the task. Mort looked at Vincent and his half-blown head that shows his bony skull and his messed up greenish vegetal muscle. Disgusted he felt. And as he was gulping his spittle, he searched him and took back his keys, saying, “Well! The wind wasn’t on your favor to inherit me, pal.” He then dragged him to Mendoza while Vincent’s dangled right eyeball was sweeping the golden dust. Carl dragged Alfred by his one attached leg, whereas the other being attached only by his worn-out uniform fabric. Ludwig and Schneider got dragged after. Then, they started to collect every organic piece, and to bury every spot of leaked water. They did, and then he commanded them to carry Olivia’s stone and place it in the back of his car while still taking aim at them. And when Carl reached the car, he swiftly, and without being spotted, took back his phone which was placed on the front consol.

  Under the shade of the spaceship when the sun slowly proceeded to the west, those who have been commanded to dig started to feel weak and weary. And at about 3PM, they finally dug down a reasonable hole that earned Mendoza’s approval. The sight of a once Very-Important-Persons motionless on the ground with opened mouths; that is covered with golden dust, and unblinking eyes, brought a skin-creeping fear to Gael, who sincerely asked god for help.

  Mendoza commanded them to evacuate the hole, and to drop the dead in it. They threw Vincent, Ludwig, Schneider, and before they drop Alfred, he stopped them. And told them to line up beside each other far from the grave till further notice. And while the howling wind moves his unbuttoned brown military jacket, he stood still gazing at Alfred’s dead body for a moment or so. He then pulled out a cigarette packet, and by his lips, he drew a cigarette, lit it up by a golden-lighter with a carved peace-sign on it. He fully filled his lungs with smoke, and when exhaled, he said, “Though, I truly hated you, yet I still sense glowing shards of admiration toward you deep in my heart. I don’t know why, but I truly do. *He glanced at his opened skull* sheesh! I did a number on him. Poor bastard, indeed.”

  After that, he saluted him, and by his foot, he pushed him in the grave. Then, he told the guys to come and bury them. They swiftly started, some by shovels others by their bare hands. Mendoza was still aiming his gun at them while slowly stepping backward. They done burying after five minutes, but no one dared to meet Mendoza’s eyes. Gael, who was feeling thirsty and tired, mumbled in complain, “Charming fate! I have buried five Phugwaks till now. Something I wouldn’t think of doing for a thousand year.”

  They thought that he will start the killing, but after a while, they overheard a cars door slamming followed by a starting engine. They looked to see Mendoza dusting the desert by speeding up his car. Running away with Mort’s priceless stone. They looked at each other with confusion and disbelieve. Gael immediately dropped on his knees, thanking the supreme one, God, after realizing that his prayer has been miraculously answered!

  Volume 4

  “What follows those who had it all, is nothing but void.”

  Escape

  When they beheld Mendoza slowly disappears in the miraged horizon, relief and easement vanished the despairing dejection that was clouding their chests. Gael looked at his free trembling palms, and with a large happy smile, he said, “We are safe! We are free!”

  “And almost without a scratch!” Jack added.

  “And with the keys!” said Bob.

  Mort wowed in disbelieve, “Who would’ve thought this would happen! Did you see how Vincent’s head blown off? Fuuuuck, that was intense.”

  “Mendoza was a sharp shooter,” said Kais. “He didn’t even waste a bullet on them!”

  While slowly realizing that they are safe, Gael said that there is nothing to keep them waiting, and urged them to escape this dreadful planet as fast as possible, but Mort confronted him with a disagreeing smile, saying, “Nay!”

  “What! I had enough of this wretched planet, we have to leave at once.”

  “Not until I fill the ship with gold till it coughs, kiddo.”

  “Are you out of your mind? Beneath our feet are dead important military figures that they will rush to search for.”

  “I care not, kid. Am not going anywhere till I gather as much as this ship can contain. So, start picking up the gold if you want us to leave fast.”

  Gael looked at Kaiser who shrugged in agreement saying, “Mort is right. We all need this.” After that, he urged, “Alright, lets pick up the pace then.”

  Though some were feeling tired and hungry, yet they found the stamina to start loading the ship with pure gold ores that vary in shape and size. Mort gathered them to help him carry a big and heavy golden boulder that was almost impossible for them to lift. But his relentless determination placed it in the position of Olivia’s stone. Up and forth, they load the ship with gold. And when the sun slowly ducked behind a diamond mountain that gleamed in Mort’s eyes, he started his car and went to it with Jack who helped him gather as much as the car can carry. He returned and parked the car in its place in the ship. The guys told him that they filled every spatial area in there, but he nodded in disagreement, saying “That is not enough.” He discarded and dismantled every worthless object and unnecessary material that he doesn’t need or use any more, and filled its blank space with more golden ores. And when darkness pervaded, they finished the work, and entered the ship. Mort, who started the engine, kissed the driver’s control panel, saying “Oh! baby, I thought I would never see you again.” He then turned-on the ship’s interior white neon lights, and the air conditioner. Gael, who was exhaustingly sweating, stretched his ached muscle and dropped himself on the ship seat as he exhaled relief. And with dried mouth and paining stomach, Bob, who was sweating like a confronted criminal, said, “C’mon, Mort, am tired... and am literally starving.”

  “Worry not, young man, I shall make you a delicious meal that I only prepare to those I like.”

  With the help of an advanced cocking machine, Morton prepared them a reasonable delicious meal that was not tasteless and cold cheese sandwiches. It was rather fried chickens with hot molten yellow chees poured on top, potato fries with sweet paper, catchup sauce, water and soda drinks. A single bite from the lukewarm chicken thawed Bob’s facial muscle, saying, “Oooh! Dear lord. I really didn’t know that our food is so delicious. Compared to the so-called food that the Phugwaks eat.”

  Surrounded by gold and diamonds, they ate with carefree minds and tranquilized fear at last. They talked and asked Mort about his prison story. He told them about it, and he mentioned that he found Sooso, the receptionist, in the prison, and he was working as an undercover agent! And when he asked if they found any lead, they told him that this is a planet in a galaxy that isn’t the Milky-Way. That made doubt strike back, but Carl, who showed them the picture from the Phugwak astrology book, assured them the cosmos-rift, that will definitely place them in the Milky Way, can be easily detected by any simple telescope.

  Bob, who sat on his chair as he was trying to pull out a stuck meat out from his teeth, said, “Alright, Mort. Let’s penetrate the cosmos.”

  Mort, surprisingly, was so amazed by this line. Swiftly, he turned at Bob, and asked “You made this line up?”

  “Yes, I did... Cool one, no?”

  “That is cool. Truly, that’s nice. Its new one to me.”

  “Much obliged.”

  “Oh, C’MON! it was my line.” Jack responded.

  “Dude, don’t be this pathetic.”

/>   While Jack and Bob argue about who is the rightful owner of this line, Kais was sitting with a wistful face, overthinking about the better outcome that did not happen with Alma. Mort noticed his sad face, and asked, “What’s the matter, kid?” Kais’s, whom his eyes shimmered as tears slowly gather up, sighed, and said, “Just... just start the ship and take me home.” And while Mort was waiting for the ship’s permission to flight, he searched in the radio waves for anything that may pass time, he stopped at a station that was broadcasting the news, but luckily for them, it was at the end of its news report. After that, a nice and calm female voice narrated: “Ladies and gentlemen, with this, we end the news program. And now, we will travel far away from this melancholic and depressing atmosphere which devoured the nonsensical Phugwaks in this planet. We leave you with the heartwarming classic song, “Who has a Heart?” by Patty Stephan.”

  The song started with calm autistic guitar melody, followed by a calm female voice began the lyrics, “Who has a heart…?” It was nice at the beginning for Kaiser who was so eager to listen to it, but Mort didn’t allow it to continue, for he robustly stroke the radio turning it off, and with bothered tone, he replied, “No one does, and shut the hell up... Alright, kids, its green across the boards. Buckle up, and get ready ... We will rely on jet engines, so it will take a while till we penetrate this planet’s stratosphere.”

  He pressed some buttons on his left, pulled a lever on his right, confirmed his finger print, and pulled a switch from a square whole in front of him. The ship’s side engines turned red as it started to move. Moments later, a sudden blast of shock wave released the ship from the gravity grip, leaving behind a dusty storm that erased every wheel track that might lead those who might search for the dead Generals.

  Pitiful Scenery

  The distant shining sun, slowly veil behind the crimson planet that they just escaped after about half an hour when the ship floated still beyond the planet exosphere. Mort, who didn’t activate the Artificial Gravity System yet, looked at the back of his ship to see some of the unfettered gold ores peacefully float around. He gathered them to a safe space, then activated the artificial gravity. “Alright, Carl,” he said, “I allow you to use the ship’s telescope to locate your alleged wormhole for us.” He pressed a button that deshelled a long space-observing telescope from the top of the ship as the driver’s console screen changed to the telescope output.

  “I don’t know how to use this!” confusingly, said Carl.

  “It’s easy, just give it a try. You may have to change the visual setting to infrared or to ultraviolet to be able to see what the human eyes can’t.”

  Carl nodded and agreed to try, starting by pressing some touchscreen buttons to change the scoop direction while checking the picture in his phone. And far from them, in the right side of the ship, Jack was in front of a window, trying to find the perfect perspective to block the Phugwak Planet from his sight with his thumb. Kais who found it odd, curiously asked, “What are you doing?”

  “Isn’t it sad?” he replied, “I mean, all the horrible stuff we’ve encountered, all the loathsome arrogance, the stinking hate, the dreadful greed, the injustice, the blind killing, the destruction, and the raining sorrow! All of it happened in this insignificant sphere that I can block its sight with my thumb!”

  “How wise,” Kaiser replied, and joked, “Gael might be right. You should live above some mountain and become a wisdom monk.”

  Bob added, “Its look so peaceful and calm from up here. And you know what is really strange for me, it is that we are a live, and almost unscathed. I mean, the war, the bombing, the crazy twins, Alfred and his gangs, and Mendoza who killed them all!”

  Gael hummed in thoughts, and replied, “True... and you know what, I think it is preordained.”

  “Nothing is preordained,” said Carl, who was still searching for The Great Cosmic Rift.

  “No... no. I mean, if you looked at it again, you will find that our events went strikingly unpredictable. Death were too close, yet we managed to survive. That leads me to the idea of the -Previously Written Plan- for this planet. Who dies in it and who lives, who earns and who lose. We weren’t originally from this planet and surly we are not part of its big plan, thus, we survived.”

  Carl sarcastically chuckled, “Pardon me, but this is nothing but a nonsensical superstition. You can debunk this claim by seeing the amount of gold we took from that planet. Also, the humans had roamed the galaxy and laid their sovereignty over every inhabitable Exo-planet. How could they do such thing if it not written in the Earth’s previously written plan?”

  “Then, how do you explain our survivor?”

  “What kept us alive was nothing but a mere coincidence that somehow, happened to be in consecutive order.”

  “I don’t believe in coincident, let me add—!”

  Carl ended the argument by joyfully snapping his fingers and victoriously shouting, “YES!” They eagerly asked him what’s up, then he happily told them that he found the rift to the Milky-Way. Doubtful questions followed after, but he assured them that it is after telling them to take a look at the screen where the rift; which was horizontal, is disturbing the starts patterns. It wasn’t convincing yet, till he showed them the Thumbless Nebula where they had passed by it. Regardless of his certainty, it was a risky attempt as the rift will take them a light week to reach. For that, everyone was in silenced concern. No one wanted to get lost again in the endless darkness of space.

  Mort, who gave an admiringly approving wow, said, “I didn’t think that hanging out with nerds will be this useful. Alright, I will rely and be heeded by your find, kid. I trust you. Buckle up, kids. We will bid this planet farewell right away, so take pictures of it, because it is highly might be the last time you see it.”

  Carl was the only one who actually took a picture via his phone. After that, Mort adjusted the ship angel, sent a probing beam, and programmed the ship to stop after an earthly week. He ordered them to sit and fasten their seatbelt. The capsule slowly closes on them as the ship started to countdown its venture. And after 30 seconds, the ship sat-off by lightspeed, leaving the Phugwak Planet mind its issues all alone.

  Iniquitous Apportion

  After 7 earthly days, the ship safely stopped in a dark place with lots of light-dots glitters in the far distant. Mort woke up, yawningly stretched, and went to the control panel to behold a joy-bringing color. The ship navigation system was all green across the board! It recognized this place. The universal traveling routes, Earth’s location and distant was showing on the map. His hands were trembling when he let out a deep relieving sigh. He then looked at Carl who was sleeping, and went waking him up to tell him that he was right about the rift.

  Slowly, Carl’s brain activates its consciousness, and with a face full of sleep, he questioned, “Really?”

  “Yea, all the ship navigation system is functioning well.”

  Carl felt as if a heavy burdening weight suddenly dropped down from his shoulder. Relief embraced him as he sighed relax, saying, “Well, it is truly a good thing to hear while awakening.”

  “Yea, it’s all thank to you, kid... Anyway, am going to the bathroom. Wake your friends up and tell them that our ordeal has finally came to an end.”

  Mort left to the bathroom while joyfully singing. Carl took the opportunity of being the only one awake and swiftly went to the control panel. He took a picture of it while the screen was showing the ship’s coordinates, location, nose and rear angles, and its distant from their solar system. He then cheerfully woke his friend up telling them about the good relieving news. Rejoice and comfort filled the ship as they sincerely thanked Carl.

  Gael, who felt the despairing solicitude thaws off from his chest, leant back on his seat, closed his eyes that almost teared joy, and thanked God for this miraculous salvation. Mort came back with a big happy smile on his face, greeted them, and prepared a delicious breakfast. Kaiser felt home is nigh, and is embraced by war-end feelings. He thanked Car
l, saying, “Had it not for you, Carl, we would be still lost and astray. We sincerely happy to have we with us. Thank you.”

  In the calm and peaceful ship, they ate their breakfast with carefree minds for the first time in weeks, except for those who lost a beloved. And while enjoying his delicious breakfast of hotdogs and scrambled eggs, Bob said, “I didn’t know that you have this verity of food in the ship!”

  “Well, am a rich man now, so no need for precaution.”

  After done eating, and while been showered by joy, they discussed some matters regarding Earth’s distant; which is 10 light days far, and the Phugwak planet. Carl then proposed something weird. He wanted to wear Mort’s space suite and go outside for five minutes or so to observe the rift. Mort disagreed saying that he can avert the ship to its direction, but he responded saying that he wants to experience the vacuumed space. It was a bit vague, but Mort agreed saying, “Alright… You deserve it, kid.”

  Carl dressed up and took his phone, then, Mort led him to the airlock chamber, tied him up with safety ropes that is attached to the ship, and told him to get back as soon as possible. Moments after, while being alone in the airlock chamber that had been air vacuumed and its pressure slowly being adjusted, the outer door; which was above him, hatched open. It took him a faint jump to get out of the ship.

  In the outer space, where he was floating freely, he turned back to see the Great Cosmic Rift; which is not discovered by humans yet, was hard to detect. But by concentrating on the star pattern, he detected its horizontal gate. He took multiple pictures for the rift, Mort’s ship, and a selfie for him. After that, he returned.