The Grand Master

by Bill Stenlake

  ‘What did you do that for?’ he says looking up at Luigi.

  ‘You dropped the plates and just stood there. We bring you out and you just sit there. I throw the water and you wake up.’

  ‘What happened?’

  ‘You dropped the plates! I already told you that.’

  ‘I can’t remember. Anyway I’ve got a stinging headache.’

  At that Mario stands up. He takes one look at Santos and another at Luigi then shakes his head. He runs his hand through his jet black hair. He then strokes both sides of his thin, oily skinned face. He shakes his head once more and then without saying a word takes his 5’10” lean, muscular 180lb frame and starts walking away from them across the lot.

  ‘Hey, Mario, where are you going?’ Luigi shouts after him, but Mario just keeps on going. ‘I haven’t got the time for this’ he says to Santos. ‘Come on, we have work to do.’

  They turn and walk back into the kitchens. Mario keeps walking away. He doesn’t turn round once, but just keeps going. Twenty five minutes later he is home. He can’t get in the door, as his keys are still back in the diner. They are in the clothes he walked to work in. It is not a problem, not that he is worrying about it, as his sister should be still at home. Luckily she works evenings in a bar and it is only lunchtime. He presses one of the buzzers so he can get in the outer door. It doesn’t happen to be his one he presses, but the door is released anyway without question. He makes his way slowly up to the third floor and along to the third door which is the one to his home.

  He doesn’t knock on the door with his hand. He stands in front of it and lets his aching head bang against it. Nothing happens for a couple of minutes. Mario is just standing there with the door supporting his leaning body. Suddenly a voice comes from the other side of the door. It is not the normal voice his sister would use. It is a slightly strained voice.

  ‘Is that you Mario?’

  ‘Yes TZ’ he replies using a remarkably similar tone. ‘Open up will you!’

  She does and he only just manages to stop himself falling through the doorway as she releases the door catch.

  ‘What’s wrong’ she asks as he stumbles in.

  ‘I dropped a pile of plates apparently. But I have this tremendous pain in my head.’

  ‘Me too!’ TZ replies.

  Mario looks at his sister. She is very pale and he can see that she is screwing up her eyes in pain. Other than that he is looking at a petite version of himself, although TZ is two years older than Mario. Oh yeh, the other difference is TZ is a woman.

  Chapter 12 Spirit

  How I wish I could have a mirror to look at, as I step out of the pod. I am pleased that my step appears to be light, a strange thing to think as I venture out into the open. Once I am clear of the pod, it closes behind me with a similar hiss which heralded its opening a minute ago. So here I am in an empty room, just me and a pod. I feel my clothes fit me pretty well and they are comfortable. I look down at my feet. I catch site of my jeans on the way. I think I had been hoping for better than that, but they look good quality. I would have preferred white trainers, but I guess these black ones will have to do. I lift my arms so I can get a good look at my sleeves. It’s a sweatshirt, is about all I can say about it. It could be better, but it could be an awful lot worse too. Again it looks to be good quality so I won’t complain, not that there is anyone to complain to.

  I am guessing that I have been brought here to do something. I don’t expect that I should be left standing here in an empty room. Well a room with my pod in. Funnily enough I can’t remember ever going into the pod. That is a little bit strange. Judging from the skin on my hands, I estimate I must be about in my mid twenties. That is assuming normal ageing and stuff like that.

  I walk over to the pod and touch the front of it. I am a little surprised, as it moves to my touch. It hadn’t moved like that when I got out. I would have skidded out if it had. It is like it is on a cushion of air; it is so easy to move. I move it more to the left, as that is the way it first moves. Then after a couple of feet it stops. I am sure there is a faint click too. It could have been the pod stopping or more likely the door space behind where it had been, opening a fraction. It is not hard to want to leave this room, so I waste no time opening the door enough for me to go through. Boldly I step out into the corridor. The door closes behind me and when I look, I have difficulty believing there had been an opening there in the first place, so good is the seam. I look to my left and then my right. The corridor is quite short. At both ends there must be a door, or so I reckon. Before I can make my choice there is a very quiet hiss, followed by a small hatch opening up in the wall, opposite where I have just come out of. Inside the hatch is a small bleeper. I am no fool, so I pick it up knowing it is meant for me.

  As soon as I have it in my hand the hatch closes and the bleeper lights up. There is a green arrow pointing to my left. As I turn, it straightens up and leads me towards the end of the corridor. I have to get right up to the door, within a few inches, before anything else happens. The door slides open, revealing what I presume to be a lift. The arrow leads me in and then indicates I turn round. By the time I’ve done so, the door has closed again.

  Well, if it is a lift then I am totally unable to feel any motion in it. I have absolutely no idea if I am moving up, down or not at all. The door soon opens and I could just as well be in the same corridor. The arrow flashes indicating I should exit my lift, so I do. Once I am out the arrow leads me to the other end of this corridor, where I stop in front of the door and wait. The door doesn’t open and the green light goes out.

  Nothing happens for a minute and then the green light reappears, indicating I should turn round and stop. I do as I am instructed and the green light disappears once more. I hear a very quiet noise, but can’t place where it is coming from. Then the bleeper in my hand buzzes and makes me jump in surprise.

  ‘Verification complete’ appears on the screen followed by my green arrow indicating that I should turn round once more, but only 90 degrees.

  A door appears in the wall, sliding open to allow me to step into what I have to presume is yet another lift. Once in, I yet again fail to know if I am moving up or down. I guess I must have done as when the door opens again I am facing down a short corridor, only six or seven feet long. There is a door at the far end and it looks like a real door this time. It even has a keypad to one side so I can gain access, but only if the bleeper gives me the code.

  The green arrow leads me to the door where it shows me to stop. It then indicates I should face the wall to my right which is the same side the keypad is on. When I have done that a very small hatch opens. The bleeper shows me four numbers 7282 followed quickly by the green arrow straight ahead. I place the bleeper in the hatch, which closes immediately.

  I then press the four numbers onto the keypad and the door clicks, allowing me to open it and step through.

  As I do so, I can see two people sitting in comfortable chairs. They visibly jump in their seats at the sound of me entering the room. They quickly stand up and turn to face me. One is a man and the other is a woman. I notice them, but my attention is taken by my reflection in a mirror. ‘Yay!’ is what goes through my head. I am quite handsome!

  Chapter 13 THE OVERSEERS

  GM6 & GM7 are sitting in their comfy seats. Having satisfied themselves that they are in the right place, where they need to be, they have settled down to wait for something to happen. There is no doubt in their heads that something will come to them and they will be able to act on it. They have already updated the programs and pulled several resources together. They are just waiting for the last couple of bits of information and data before they upload it all to The Wise Soul. There is one very special component they are waiting to arrive to them. It is related to the Air Micro Compounder Engines that power the main spacecraft. It is something that is still really under development. GM6 has come across it in her research of useful tools to give to The Wise Soul. After discussion with GM7
they believe that O is helping them get access to it. In the wrong hands this could be totally disastrous!

  They have been waiting quite a while for it to arrive, but they don’t know if it is going to in data form or physical form. There is nothing to tell them which it is.

  They are just sitting there waiting, when they hear a noise behind them. In an instant, a multitude of questions and thoughts race through their brains. There has been no craft advised of landing. A manned craft could only be one of two things. More one thing really; GM3!

  They jump at the sound and quickly stand up, turning round as they do so. It isn’t GM3, thankfully, is the very first thing they notice. A fine specimen walks through the now open doorway. He is in his mid twenties, well dressed albeit in casual clothes and black trainers. Well that rules out the other possibility for the occupant of a manned spacecraft arrived; a new Guiding Master. Unless things have changed a lot since they arrived, a Guiding Master does not dress like this. It is slightly concerting that the character that has walked through the door, seems to be more interested in his own reflection, than taking notice of GM6 & GM7.

  GM7 snatches a glance at the monitors. There is no way a manned craft has landed without them being aware of it. It just hasn’t happened. Not only has there not been a manned craft arrive, there has not been any craft arrive. So who is this standing before them admiring his own reflection?

  There is a short uneasy silence. This is the first time that anyone has interrupted them unannounced. The only ones that come and go are the Guiding Masters. So who is this who has come through the door? It is GM6 who finds a voice first.

  ‘O?’ she says in a quiet questioning tone.

  The young man turns towards them as she speaks. He sees two very well dressed, very powerful feeling people now standing in front of him.

  ‘O?’ He replies, liking the sound of his voice as he does so.

  That is not the response she was expecting. A mirror of her questioning tone!

  ‘Are you O?’ She tries again, already knowing that he can’t be by his initial reaction.

  ‘I take it that O is the name of someone you might be expecting? I am not O!’

  ‘We weren’t really expecting anyone’ GM7 tries his luck. There is no hint of aggression coming from their visitor, so he feels quite secure.

  ‘I can’t say that I was expecting to come across anyone.’

  ‘You are not a Guiding Master?’ he had intended it to come out more of a statement than a question, but the tone of his voice lets him down.

  ‘Not that I am aware of.’ The young man replies.

  ‘You definitely would be if you were one. You would know all about it before you arrived.’

  ‘Also you would have arrived here on a spacecraft. You don’t appear to have done that do you?’ GM6 takes back control of the situation.

  ‘I don’t believe I did, but to be honest I don’t really know.’

  ‘So how did you get here and how did you find your way to our control room?’ GM6 presses him for more information.

  He is still standing in the same place, having come through the doors. GM6 & GM7 are still standing by their chairs facing him.

  ‘I don’t know to be honest. I came out of a pod somewhere in this building?’ he ends with a question as he has no idea what sort of place he is in.

  ‘Here will do fine, carry on.’ GM6 continues to press him.

  ‘I came out into an empty room. I moved the pod and the door behind it opened. Then a hatch opened and I was given a bleeper with a green arrow glowing on it.’

  ‘It knows you are here then obviously! You are meant to be here.’ She says quietly.

  ‘It looks as if O has done something after all.’ GM7 interjects.

  The young man looks puzzled for a few seconds before he continues.

  ‘I was lead here by the bleeper and the green arrow. I came up or down in a couple of lifts on the way to this room. This is where the bleeper left me to come in.’

  ‘You look familiar in a way I can’t place.’ GM6 muses.

  ‘Come in and join us.’ GM7 follows up with. ‘We are Guiding Masters. I am GM7 and my fair colleague here is GM6.’

  GM6 has turned and is busy at the console. A few seconds later she turns round again.

  ‘You look very closely like The Keeper, but you can’t be him.’ She looks at him while he replies.

  ‘I am not The Keeper. I am Spirit!’ he surprises himself at the words he speaks, as until that moment when he gave it, he had no idea that was his name.

  CHAPTER 14 THE GRAND MASTER

  The Keeper sits on his chair with a small table in front of him. The droid that has escorted him to the room has now left him. He is sure he is not far away.

  The door opens and a tall well dressed man enters the room. The Keeper can see two things as the door opens. The droid is now armed and this man looks as if he means business.

  The Keeper does nothing other than watch the man come in, shut the door and then sit in the chair opposite him. In a tone unexpectedly harsh the man speaks to the Keeper.

  ‘You are The Keeper of The Balance!’ This is not said as a question, but very definitely as a statement.

  I being The Keeper decide at this time I will say nothing, but wait to see what else is thrown at me first. For the first time I am starting to feel something akin to fear.

  ‘I expect you to confirm this.’ the man says raising his voice to a level just short of a shout. He puts his hands on the table and lifts his body a fraction, taking up quite an intimidating position.

  I decide that I am not going to be shouted at or intimidated by this man. What he is doing is nothing short of being a bully. I feel the shards of fear dissipate. My action does not meet approval and quite unexpectedly to me the man lifts one hand and back slaps me across my face. I let my face turn on the impact, which lessens the blow a fraction. Not enough to stop my lip being cut. I can taste my blood, as my tongue instinctively finds the spot and stops the drips from running down my chin.

  I am not sure if the man has shocked himself by his action, as he sits down and lowers his voice.

  ‘Let’s start again’ he tries ‘I know you are The Keeper; The Keeper of The Balance. I know you are going to give me the information that I need. As you have just witnessed, I have a short fuse and a bad habit of lashing out.’

  I touch my lip at his words and that makes him smile.

  ‘That is nothing compared to what I am capable of.’ are his next words.

  I kind of get the feeling that I am supposed to take that one on trust. I also get the feeling that that would be going further than he has gone before.

  ‘I was lead to believe that you are a Guiding Master. The Watcher seems to think that you shouldn’t be doing any of this. It is not in your remit!’

  ‘It wasn’t until those naive committee members on your own home planet did something really stupid. It made me realise something. If this could be allowed to happen on Velchitta of all planets, then there is a massive flaw in the thinking in the setting up of the Universe. Of all places where everything should be stable, shut down, locked down and with absolutely not a fraction of room for error, then that should be how it is or was on Velchitta.’

  I realise the flood gates are open now, so I settle back in my chair to receive his justification. I try not to make it too obvious I am doing this, but to honest I don’t think he notices as he is too wrapped up in himself.

  ‘Do you know how boring; how mind blowingly boring it is to be a Guiding Master. Yes you can get out every now and then, to check up on certain things. But the other two want their opportunity to get out too. That is all very well, but there is this ruling that says that there must always be two Guiding Masters there where we live at all times. When you see that everyone else has a life to lead, the incentive of immortality is not so attractive after the length of time I have been a Guiding Master. I am one of the original three. Others have come and gone as finally it has become too
much for them to bear to be immortal, but bored stiff forever in time.’ He stops to make sure I am listening to him. I am as I have little choice other than hear his words.

  ‘Then there are you on Velchitta. You are the one who has something to do, as important as being a Guiding Master. No, I am wrong, your position is more important. You are The Keeper of The Balance. You get to be mortal and immortal.’

  I can’t help but move a fraction as he says this. I do it because I am not sure what he means by that. My slight movement does not go unnoticed.

  ‘I see that interests you. We often wondered if you knew. We were and they are, very jealous of that mortality and immortality combined. Let me explain! You are Velchin and you will always be Velchin. It is only when The Watcher took you away from Velchitta that that changed. You are born, you live and then you die just like any other mortal, but then you are reborn virtually straight away. You have a life to live each time, but at the same time you are The Keeper of The Balance.’

  Something happens to his voice as he ends that last bit. It is as if a thought has suddenly struck him and he is unsure now of the ground he stands on. His tone becomes more aggressive again as he starts talking.

  ‘Let’s get a couple of things straight. I am no longer Guiding Master 3. I am The Grand Master! You are The Keeper of The Balance and you are going to tell me everything you know, so I will dominate the Universe.

  I feel that tinge of fear reappearing inside me. This man is not going to like it when I tell him I haven’t got a clue as to what he is talking about. Also that I have no idea what being The Keeper of The Balance can do. I am not particularly relishing his reaction when he finds this out.