Border of the sun

by Aditya Mewati

  They were now close to the stairs; she reached out to grab his shirt tail. But the heel on her left leg broke; she toppled over and fell, smashing her nose on the cold, concrete floor. Her nose turned into a squashed tomato. She got up and climbed the stairs; grimacing in pain and at the taste of her own blood as it slid into her mouth.

  She reached the head of the stairs and found herself staring at the street behind the hall. She gazed around and spotted Alex running toward a cab. She also ran toward him. But it was too late, he was already in the cab. The driver pulled the cab of the curb and headed toward the traffic.

  Damn it!

  Nausea hit her. Her nose... It felt to her that she would pass out at any moment if she did not find a place to sit. She decided that she can't trail him, not in this condition. So, she sat on the nearby bench.

  17

  Pale, silver moonlight filtered in through a narrow, circular window, illuminating the vertical rectangular frame that stood in the midst of the dark, empty room. The frame was made up of metal, and had big, four, circular rings attached to it; two rings for hands and two for legs.

  The door in the corner of the room flung open, and men in green uniform started hustling in the room. Soon they all were standing in a circle around the rectangular frame.

  Few seconds later, Dr. Alex Bill walked in, his forehead drenched in sweat and was followed by Gun Katz. Dr. Alex Bill was carrying a metal briefcase and was staring at it as if the briefcase was more dangerous than the men with the guns. He carefully placed the briefcase on the floor and wiped his forehead with the back of his hands.

  "I hope you're ready, Doctor?" Katz said, his voice echoed in the dark, empty room. He walked around the room, staring, squinting at each face of the men. He was trying to choose a candidate for his experiment.

  Dr. Alex Bill was in some another world, his mind focused on the briefcase. The room around him felt distant and fictitious. It felt like a dream. A real bad dream.

  "Doctor?" Katz voice boomed in the room. His sound made Alex Bill realize that he was not dreaming. This thing was real. This briefcase was real, And that damn stuff inside it was Damn, freaking real!

  "Er-yes," Alex Bill said solemnly, his voice came in a choked whisper. His leg trembling with fear, unable to support his weight.

  "Good," Katz said and nodded as he walked around the room, still squinting at the faces. After few a seconds, he stopped in front of a small, Asian man. He stared at him, his eyes burning into men's. The man did not blink or moved his eyes. He stood there like a statue.

  "You," Katz hissed, "Serah terima pistol Anda." Hand over your gun.

  The man nodded, and handed his gun to Katz. "Doctor!" Katz said happily. "We have our first test subject." He grinned.

  The man started walking toward the rectangular frame. Alex caught his legs trembling in fear. Alex approximated the man's height; He must be around five or five point two-maybe.

  The man turned his back on the rectangular frame and slipped his hands and legs in the giant rings. They were too big for his arms and legs.

  Alex stood, just staring at the man.

  "What are you waiting for?" Katz grumbled.

  "I can't open the briefcase. I don't have the keys."

  "Oh..." Gun Katz started fishing in his breast pocket for the keys. He fished out a small, silver key and threw it at Alex.

  Alex caught the key in his trembling hand. He inserted the key in the lock on the briefcase, and twisted it. Click.

  And suppressing a shudder, he bent down and opened the briefcase. Six complex looking syringes were lying in the briefcase, parallel to each other and were holding a thick, purple color liquid. Alex grabbed the syringe and got back to his feet.

  "What if it goes wrong?" Alex asked. He was now standing in front of the rectangular frame, not willing to inject the purple liquid into the man's body.

  "Nothing will go wrong. Do it," Katz ordered.

  Alex swallowed. God, please forgive me, he prayed, and pressed the needle into the man's skin, and after injecting the purple liquid, he started moving back.

  The man looked at him as if nothing happened-and-suddenly his eyes gaped in terror. He started shouting. His cries of agony echoed in the dark room. His skin started billowing. Small bubbles started forming on his skin, multiplying with every passing second. The man started growing bigger and bigger with every passing second, tearing his clothes.

  The man stopped shouting. He was no longer a short man. His height had increased. He was now around seven feet tall and looked very muscular. He looked at himself and then at Katz and smiled.

  But Katz didn't look impressed. He stared at tall, muscular man with an expressionless face. "Cut his right hand," he ordered.

  Two men, walked out of the darkness, carrying an electric saw. The tall man gazed at them and started at Katz, his face turning red. He bellowed and started squirming his body.

  The sounds of the man bellowing in anger, and the chugging from the engine of the electric saw filled the room.

  They sliced the tall man's right hand. And with a surprising strength, he broke free, sending the metal pieces in every direction. He grabbed the man, who had sliced his hand and threw him—smashing his head against the wall.

  He glared at Katz, but caught a grin forming on Katz's face. His hand!

  He looked back at his right hand, and it was growing back. A Few moments later he had completely regrown his hand, but his new hand's skin color was pearl white. He stared at his own new hand in amazement.

  Katz jerked his head toward Dr. Alex Bill and smiled. "Good Job, doctor."

  18

  Karthik upended the milk carton, pouring the milk on the flakes. He lifted the bowl and made his way out of the kitchen.

  He turned on the TV, to watch the previous night's news, and sat down on the sofa with the bowl of cornflakes.

  Behind him, the pale yellow sunlight slanted in through the window. He watched the news and gobbled up his breakfast. Luckily they were showing, the repeat telecast of the previous night's news.

  A woman was standing with a mic; Behind her, the hospital was gleaming in the orange light from the street lamps.

  "... Sydney's most popular Entrepreneur and Philanthropist, Daniel H. Ford was shot—one hour ago —in Bradman hall's washroom." The reporter was saying, "Half an hour ago he was admitted... Here... in Royal Prince Alfred Hospital." She pointed at the hospital behind her. Many police cars were parked in front of the hospital.

  "Do you have any updates on Mr. Ford's health?" The Anchor, who was sitting in the studio, asked.

  The reporter nodded. "Yes," she took a deep breath and said, "Doctors said that he is in coma. His condition is very fragile. But the doctor also says, there are certain chances of improvem—"

  "I'm sorry for the intrusion ," The Anchor interrupted, "we have a new CCTV footage for the audience."

  The video changed. Karthik could easily see Sara smoking cigarette, and an old woman behind her searching something in her purse. They both stood in the deserted corridor, which led to the parking lot.

  Karthik noticed Sara's expressions changing. She covered her ears with both hands and crouched on the ground. Karthik saw a new human figure entering the scene with his right arm stretched out, and he was holding a gun in it. There were no sounds in the footage, but Karthik realized he was firing on Sara. The old woman behind her dropped on the floor.

  The man who called himself Alex Muffin kept firing as he skewed to his left and soon was out of sight.

  Another woman entered the scene. "Lilly," Karthik murmured. Lilly bolted toward Sara, who was sitting on the ground, and was shivering with fear. Lilly moved toward the old woman. She checked her heartbeat and shook her head. She walked back to Sara, bent in front of her, and shook her shoulder. She was asking something to Sara. Sara weakly nodded and pointed at the board with 'Parking lot' engraved on it.

  The video changed. The woman standing in front of the hospital came back into view. Karthik
spotted himself, walking out of the hospital gate. As soon as reporters saw him, they started huddling around him, and started asking him thousands of questions: Who was that man? Why did he attack Mr. Ford? How did he–

  Karthik switched off the TV. He already knew what was coming next, and he had no intentions to see those embarrassing moments again. He did not want to see himself crying on the television. You need to be strong, Karthik. You need to be strong, he told himself. No way! That man was like your father. But, you don't need to worry, he'll be fine. What the heck! He is in damn coma! How could I–

  His cell phone rang. He flipped the cell phone open, and said, "Hello."

  "Hey, It's me, Lilly."

  "Hey, Lill–"

  "Where the hell are you? Everyone is waiting for you on the airport."

  "I know. Just hang on for another fifteen minutes," Karthik said, solemnly.

  "Okay, and don't forget to sign those documents in the police station. We'll need the permission letter to leave the country."

  "I know. I'm a lawyer."

  "Okay. If you don't come in fifteen minutes... we are leaving without you." click.

  The white Gulfstream G650 private jet was waiting on the runway. It is among the most popular luxury jets for celebrities and the rich alike, and they've become so popular that nearly forty of the Gulfstream G650 have been sold. Its white body was gleaming under the bright, blue sky.

  Karthik dragged the suitcase across the runway. He spotted Piper, who was waving at him from the third porthole. He waved back.

  The pilot was an old man in his early sixties. He already knew Karthik, and helped him with his suitcase.

  "Thank you, Mr. Walker." Karthik said.

  "It's okay, son," Mr. Walker, the pilot replied, "How is Mr. Ford's condition?"

  "It's improving," Karthik replied.

  The pilot nodded and returned to the cockpit.

  Karthik entered in the passenger's compartment. There were four seats, two on the either side of the wall, facing each other. The seat in front of the Piper was empty. Lilly and a man with curly hair were sitting on the left, facing each other. The man was working on a laptop. Lilly’s nose was warped in a white bandage.

  Karthik sat in front of Piper. She glared at him. "What?" Karthik asked; Although he knew the reason for her being angry.

  "You know," Piper replied, brandishing her watch

  "Okay, okay. I'm sorry.” He looked away from her. “You must be Lilly's partner?" Karthik said, offering his hand to the man with curly hair. He was wearing a big, wire-framed glasses. Karthik’s actual intention was to change the topic.

  "Yes," The man replied, shaking hands with Karthik. " Jack Morgan. You can call me, Jack," he said and returned his attention back to the laptop.

  "He is a kind of hacker nerd," Lilly said, loudly so that jack could hear it.

  He shot her a resentful look and dropped his eyes back to the laptop screen. They sat in silence for a few seconds.

  Karthik cleared his throat, "The police officer asked me the reason for going to Egypt."

  "What did you say?" Lilly asked.

  "Work," Karthik shrugged. He looked around and said, "We don't have any air hostess?"

  Piper shook her head. "No. Lilly Said we better go without them."

  "And also without that Pilot." Lilly chimed in.

  "Without the pilot?" Karthik smirked. "Then who did you expected to fly this stuff?"

  "Me," Jack said without raising his head. His fingers kept dancing on the keyboard.

  The pilot's voice boomed from the speakers. "Okay, folks. We are ready to take off. So get your asses tucked in your seat. Have a nice ride."

  Everything around them started vibrating.

  "Does he always talk like this?" Lilly asked Karthik.

  "No, Not always. Only when he is upset."

  The plane soared in the sky. Karthik glanced out the porthole. The airport below him was sliding away, getting tinier, and tinier, and tinier.

  The plane turned in the air and now was heading toward the west. Karthik kept staring out the porthole. Lilly read a magazine. Jack’s fingers still kept dancing on the keyboard and Piper... She just kept glancing at them.

  The land below then ended and the ocean began. Karthik soon lost his interest in gazing at the monotonous, blue body and shifted his gaze at Lilly. “How is your nose?” He asked her, breaking the silence.

  “It’s Okay,” she said shrugging.

  “What’s your age, Lilly?” Piper asked her.

  Lilly frowned. “Why do you want to know my age?”

  “It’s going to be a long trip. I guess we’ll need ways to pass the time. So, Let’s Know about each other. You don’t need to reveal your personal information. So, what’s your age?”

  “Thirty-one.”

  “Damn! “ Karthik said, “You’re younger than me. I’m thirty-two.”

  “What about you?” Lilly asked Piper. But Karthik answered for her. “She is thirty-two, too.”

  They again felt silent. It stayed like this for few minutes and Piper said, “Why did you decide to become an agent?”

  “You’re asking me?” Lilly asked.

  “I guess Karthik is not an agent here,” Piper said mockingly.

  “I thought you were asking to Jack,” Lilly said, “Anyway, I became an agent because... I wanted to fight the crime... I wanted to be like my dad.” The memory of her dad’s death came to her and she felt numb. She had been having the same dream from the day her dad was executed. But the dreams had stopped when she turned eighteen. She didn’t see any other bad dreams related to her father’s death for next thirteen years. But they came back to her few weeks ago.

  “That’s all?” Piper said.

  She nodded solemnly. Piper realized that something was wrong and quickly changed the topic. “Why would someone want to kill Mr. Ford?” she asked.

  “I don’t know,” Karthik said, “But thank god he survived the attack.”

  Lilly again nodded. She got up and said, “I need to go to the washroom.” She crossed the entryway and was soon out of sight.

  Jack turned down the laptop and sighed. “You are done with your work?” Piper asked him.

  “No, I’m just taking a little break.”

  19

  7th August 2015.

  They had been flying for eighteen hours, now, and it seemed to Karthik that he had almost lost the track of time─The sky outside had now grown dark. Karthik stared out the porthole at the cloudless sky, and sighed; he didn't know why he did it; it was a sort of involuntary sigh; Mostly meant to show his tiredness─it also seemed to him that they will just keep flying like this─to the infinity. Although he has been part of many business flights with Mr. Ford, and many of those flights have been even longer than this. But this one was different. There was no Mr. Ford with him. And it was neither a business flight. What the hell am I doing on this plane? He thought, Shaking his head as there was no answer to this question.

  "Karthik," Piper's voice interrupted his thoughts.

  He looked up. Piper was holding a cup of coffee for him. "Thanks," he said in a tired voice, reaching for the warm cup. He touched the rim of the cup to his Lips and tilted the cup. The coffee was great. He loved it.

  He turned his head toward Lilly and Jack. And unbelievingly Jack was still working on his laptop; Lilly was just staring out the porthole.

  “What are you doing?" Karthik asked Jack.

  Jack nodded but said nothing.

  "Jack, what are you doing?" Karthik asked. This time, his voice sounded fresh and powerful. He even surprised himself.

  "Talking with a dealer," Jack replied.

  "What kind of dealer?" Piper asked him.

  "Weapons. We may need them for protecting ourselves—"

  "Do you really think, we may come across such kind of situation?" Piper asked nervously.

  "I don't know. We better prepare..." Jack said vaguely.

  We better be prepared? Ya, right, Karthik th
ought. "Do you know what does that Loony terrorist wants from Piper and those other scientists?"

  Jack shook his head. "I don't know. It will be mostly related to the money and power."

  Money and power? That actually makes sense. Wait a second, from where the hell those groups get those monies and power? Especially the money?

  "Where does S.A.L.L or... S.A.L.F... or whatever its name is... from where the hell does it gets the money for buying weapons?" Karthik demanded. Yes, "Demanded" that's the right word. It sounded more like a demand.

  "There are many terrorist groups that are rich and owns many advanced weapons. They have many sources for their funding needs. Like they hijack planes or Cruise ships for ransoms. I even heard that many international companies support them—Forget about the company... Even many countries secretly support them."

  "Why? Why do companies and countries support such organizations? When they know that the only things this organization wants is to spread terror."

  "It's all about money." Jack shrugged. "And also the political issues. It's like: scratching each other's back."

  Lilly, who was looking out the porthole, turned her head away from it, and said, "You should see this."

  Karthik looked out the porthole. He could now see, lights, city lights dotted on the dark land. The sight was breathtaking.

  And the Pilot’s voice boomed from the speaker. "Get ready folks. We are about the land."

  As their plane taxied on the airstrip of the Cairo International airport, far away, in Sydney, the man who called himself Alex Muffin restlessly knocked an office door.

  "Come in." A hoarse voice from the other side of the door hissed.

  Alex Muffin walked in, scanning the room. Through the window, he could easily see the morning sunlight breaking through the dark sky, smearing it with the shades of red and pink. The curtains on the window fluttered.

  He turned his attention to the bald man sitting on the desk. The bald man was Tom King. Tom looked surlier than he had seen him one month ago.