Convergence: Genesis

by Flores Bermúdez, Heiner; Christina Hopkinson, Rachel;

  Dasslak was really intrigued. It was possible that he could obtain from this matter something even more valuable than the payment for the job.

  “Weren’t you capable of tracing the message?”

  “No. You know, the pirates on Autoro encrypt all their connections to gain entry into The Union’s network. It’s impossible to know when or from where the message was sent. I’m not even sure who sent the message.”

  “What do you mean, Voill?”

  “The message had no sender. I give that address to many of my men. It’s a private inbox which we use for emergency communications. Some time ago, one of my teams was working in one of the systems in Border-C,” he said, referring to a fringe of systems bordered with the zone known as Autoro. “They all disappeared without a trace. I suppose it was one of them that sent the message.”

  “And they haven’t contacted you again?”

  “I’ve had no more news. The only thing I know is that this supposed girl was in Autoro.”

  An expression of disappointment ran across Dasslak’s face. The information that Voill had given him was very limited. Worse still was that the one he was looking for was in Autoro. Not only was it an immensely vast area, but it was composed of systems that did not belong to The Galactic Union, nor respected any of its laws; it was a highly dangerous place. It wasn’t for nothing that the area was rife with pirates and hostile species.

  Searching for a person there was, in the best of cases, a difficult task. If the only thing to go on was nothing more than a name, then it would become virtually impossible. Who better to know that than Dasslak? He himself had captured many people in Autoro, but he had never done it on such little information.

  Dasslak leaned back, taking hold of his chin whilst he decided whether or not to accept the job. Could it be done? He had no way of knowing, but it definitely interested him.

  “So The Augur...” said the assassin, finally, after a few seconds of meditation on the situation. “... All right, I’ll accept the job.”

  “You will?” asked Voill, enthused. “You’re going to look for Denn Bornew?”

  “You have given me two names. Denn Bornew and Cora. Searching for someone on their name alone is absurd; there must at least be information about a potential whereabouts. In the case of Cora, we have a place, Autoro. Even though it’s still virtually impossible, it’s worthwhile looking for her, if it means it takes us to The Augur.” Dasslak tried to hide his smile. He did not want Voill to guess who his real target was.

  “Perfect,” said Voill, relieved. “He’ll be able to help us find Bornew.”

  Voill was satisfied; the recent weeks had been very stressful, primarily due to the fact that the investigation was not showing any advance, but now they would have an expert searching for Denn Bornew. The assassin’s legendary abilities gave Voill real hope of finding him.

  He synchronised the devices he was wearing on his body with those of Dasslak, in order to transfer all of the data for the investigation that had already been gathered, and got up in order to bring over a bag full of credits; the payment for the famous assassin’s work.

  “Yavar asked me to give you this,” said Voill, when he returned with the bag. “It’s cash payment, just how you like it.”

  “As you know, I don’t like electronic transfers. I don’t wish for there to be any proof of my business,” replied Dasslak.

  Voill held out his hand to give the bag of credits to Dasslak, but the assassin did not make even the slightest attempt of approaching him to take it. Instead, he pointed his finger at the table in front of him.

  “You can put it there,” he said to Voill, who looked somewhat offended.

  “It’s curious... by which I’m referring to the fact that you will have agreed it with Yavar to receive the money in advance,” noted Voill, at the same time that he dropped the bag on the table. “You didn’t even know what the job was about,” he said, puzzled. “Before, I was thinking that Yavar had at least told you something. And even though he might have done, you don’t usually charge until after you’ve carried out the job... I can only remember one occasion on which you charged in advance.”

  “That was a special situation. The job warranted it,” replied Dasslak. “There were many possibilities they would try to kill me after completing the assignment. I considered myself obliged to ask for the money in advance.”

  “I understand! It was a job that was... complex. But... what about this time? You weren’t even sure if you were going to accept the job. It piques my curiosity; why did you ask Yavar to send you the payment in advance? Why are you charging in advance?”

  Voill was mistaken. Bornew was not the only reason why he was there. Dasslak’s countenance turned dark during the last question. A shiver ran through Voill’s body. It was already too late.

  “Charge in advance? I haven’t done that,” said Dasslak, with a terrifying appearance.

  “What are you talking about?” asked Voill, frightened. A second later, Dasslak shot up out of his seat.

  The assassin was too quick. The soldiers looking after Voill had let down their guard, and did not manage to react. Some of them did not even notice. Dasslak drew his two revolvers and, six shots later, they all fell to the floor, dead.

  “What the hell are you doing?” cried Voill.

  Dasslak, very calmly, took his carry case and opened it. Inside, he had his long-range rifle, which was dismantled into several pieces. With no rush, he began to assemble it, whilst Voill remained paralysed, looking at his six dead soldiers. In his mind, he begged for the soldier who was outside to come in and save his life. It was impossible for him to have not heard the shots. He was sure that, in a matter of time, he would come inside to his aid.

  “What are you doing, Dasslak?” Voill asked again, with a tremulous voice.

  Dasslak did not turn around, he still continued putting together the weapon.

  “Don’t you see? I’m putting my rifle together. It’s a good thing I brought it with me, I knew I might need it.”

  Voill was trembling with fear.

  “For... what?” he barely managed to ask.

  “Look out of the window,” he said, and took the sight for his rifle, the last piece he needed to connect, and began screwing it to the weapon.

  Voill turned his gaze to the window, to where Dasslak pointed, and watched how his only hope, the soldier that had been left outside the cabin, was pelting away at full speed, fleeing across the desert horizon.

  “He’s not even managed to get all that far away,” said Dasslak, somewhat disappointed, and he supported the rifle against his shoulder in order to take aim at the soldier.

  Voill was stunned; he did not know what to do. Should he run? Would there be any point in trying? Paralysed, he watched on as Dasslak was about to eliminate the last of his guards.

  “Don’t feel sorry for him,” said Dasslak as he aimed. “He is a coward.”

  Dasslak fired his rifle. One moment later, the soldier dropped dead in the distance.

  “What have you done?” shouted Voill.

  Dasslak did not waste even a second. He was already beginning to dismantle his rifle. His coldness managed to frighten Voill even more.

  “Yavar asked me to kill you. That money you were bringing in the bag, it wasn’t advanced payment for Bornew. That money is for your head. These seven soldiers I’ve had to kill are for free.”

  “It can’t be true,” exclaimed an incredulous Voill.

  “Calm down, Voill, don’t worry. Of course it isn’t true. I lied about the soldiers being for free. I always include things like that in the price.”

  “You’re mad!” Voill screamed with dread. “You can’t kill me. I’m a member of The Galactic Union government. This cabin is equipped with multiple systems for my protection.”

  “You offend me, Voill,” answered Dasslak, who was already finishing putting his rifle away in the bag. “I’ve come prepared for that.”

  “Wait... If you kill me, you wo
n’t be able to leave this planetary system,” continued Voill, with the hope of changing his fate. “The signal from your ship was already registered on the defence systems on arriving here. That soldier who was outside must have sent a distress call for sure. You won’t be able to escape. Your ship will be hunted throughout the entire galaxy. You’ll be an easy target.”

  “Are you referring to that ship out there?” he said to him, and pointed with his finger at the old ship in which he had arrived.

  “Well... yes,” replied Voill, with surprise.

  “I’m sorry to disappoint you, but that is not my ship,” confirmed Dasslak as he activated, with the help from his eye device, a command that activated the aircraft’s automatic navigation. “That ship is from a Zahavian who lived some thirty kilometres from here.”

  “Lived?” asked Voill, and looked out of the window, at how the ship in which Dasslak had arrived was beginning to rise up. One moment later, the thrusters were activated at maximum power, sending it straight on course for space.

  “Well yes,” continued Dasslak. “You see, he didn’t want me to take his ship, so I had to kill him.”

  “It can’t be,” exclaimed Voill, aghast.

  “Come on, don’t get like that,” said the assassin. “He was a pretty hateful guy. He got angry when I landed my ship on his property,” he reassured, and began walking towards Voill, gripping one of his revolvers.

  Voill moved tremulously backwards, feeling he had death himself in front of him.

  “But... but...”

  “I told him I was going to leave my ship there for a while,” proceeded Dasslak, “and was going to borrow his own. He became aggravated and began uttering insults in Zahavi. I had no other option than to kill him.”

  Voill continued stepping backwards until he could do so no more; he had come up against the wall. It was his end, and he had now begun to comprehend it.

  “You’re a monster!”

  “Don’t worry,” continued the fearsome assassin, “I left his body in his beloved ship, so that when it’s destroyed in space, his remains will be destroyed along with it. I suppose that’s what he would have wanted.”

  Voill was quiet for a second. He had come to the conclusion that there was no way of escaping his death. After all, he was facing the most famous assassin in the galaxy.

  “All right. Let’s get it over with,” said Voill, resigned.

  “In a minute. Yavar thought you would share something in your final moments,” claimed Dasslak. “He believed you’d share the whereabouts of someone by the name of Boryan,” he said, and raised his revolver to the height of Voill’s head.

  “Is that what this is about? Boryan? Why does Yavar want me dead? I’ve kept Boryan monitored.”

  “The truth is, I have no idea, Voill. Yavar said that he needs to make changes in order to secure The Union’s future; that you had become an obstacle. The location of this Boryan was something extra for him.”

  “I’ve given my life to The Union, everything that I’ve done, I’ve been thinking about the best for the human race and the future of the galaxy,” answered Voill, despairing.

  “I’ll tell you again; I don’t devote my life to carrying out the interests of The Union. None of that matters to me. Don’t think even for a second that this is about anything personal; it’s much simpler than that. You’re just my job.”

  “Yavar can’t kill me... I won’t say where Boryan is, he... he needs me.”

  Dasslak shook his head in disapproval.

  “I’m going to explain to you. To Yavar, Boryan really didn’t seem all that important. The job was your assassination. If in the process I’m able to get the location of this person, then Yavar will pay more. As I’m not a private investigator, I reminded him, just as I did with you a moment ago, that the only thing I do is kill. I told him that I would not be able to promise getting him that information. It was then that he told me it wasn’t essential that I did, but that if I was able to get it, I would have the right to something extra. In the bag there are three million credits. Two for your head, and one more for this information you’re refusing to share. I’m not going to pressure you in any way, if you assure me that you won’t say anything, I will respect that. In that case, I’ll take only the corresponding amount from that bag.”

  Voill Conner knew that the assassin was being serious. He was in front of a man who was also well known for his honesty. A man who has nothing to fear does not need to lie. Dasslak was ambivalent to the extra information. He came for his head, and he would leave satisfied with just that. The extra money was a simple bonus that he would be able to get by without.

  “My son is in the Chard System,” said Voill, as he broke down sobbing. “On the planet Navar, on the outskirts of the White Village. I have a place there. Yavar will know how to find him.”

  Yavar had not informed Dasslak that this Boryan was Voill’s son. At the time it seemed strange to him, but he decided not to ask anything. Before he could continue with his assignment, Voill began to talk again:

  “I always knew I needed to kill him,” continued Voill. The tears were running down his cheeks. “The Augur warned me about it twenty years ago, before disappearing. He told me that he never should have been born. That he would be a threat to The Union, but I never dared to end his life, I loved his mother very much... Boryan is twenty-four years old now,” claimed Voill, and he paused before continuing in order to dry his tears: “Yavar will surely ask you to kill him... Yes, that must be it... I suppose you must do it. I understand; it’s for the good of The Union.”

  Dasslak did not understand what Voill was talking about; he did not have knowledge of the details. He had not wanted to interrupt him; he was just going to allow him to vent his emotions. The assassin did not tend to be any crueller than necessary with any of his victims, and he considered that there would be no risk in allowing Voill to say his last words.

  In spite of it having become an alien feeling to him, he could understand Voill’s suffering. In any case, he did not feel pity for him; when Voill finished, he continued:

  “There’s just one more thing left,” stated Dasslak.

  “The Augur?” asked Voill. He now knew that these were his final moments, but even so, he wanted to ensure that he would carry out his final task. “Are you really going to look for him? He’s the only way of finding Bornew and the jump-gate station! Are you going to search for Bornew?”

  “I will search for him. Yavar will keep to the contract. But first I need to know something before I kill you. The inbox, the one you told me about; what happens if that man who communicated with you before does so again?”

  “Yavar also has access to the inbox. If anyone starts communicating again, he will certainly let you know.”

  “That is everything then,” sentenced the assassin.

  Voill closed his eyes and accepted his destiny. “I’m ready,” he said, opening his arms. Dasslak pulled the trigger, and a second later, Voill Conner fell, lifeless.

  The paid assassin took his sword, the carrycase with the rifle, and the payment for his work, from the central table. He sent a message indicating the completion of the assignment, and left the cabin. He took a strange vehicle, one that floated above the ground, belonging to Voill’s escort soldiers, started it up, and set off in the direction of the place where he had left his ship, before the reinforcements arrived.

  He could relax; there would be nobody looking for him. They would be following a decoy: the ship he had stolen from the Zahavian.

  Only Dasslak and Yavar knew about it. The right-hand man of the Supreme Leader of The Galactic Union had died at the hands of the most famous assassin in the galaxy; the very one that was now after the head of Denn Bornew, and the trail of the lost station. A fact that would change the course of the galaxy. But not only that; in the process, he had obtained for Yavar information that would change the fate of the universe forever.

  On the edge of The Galactic Union, on Border-A, had lived, for th
e last twenty years, an interesting prisoner, on one of the many residences that his master, Voill Conner, kept throughout the whole galaxy. Under his orders, he was held captive, living with luxuries that not many could boast to possess, but none of that was enough for him. In another life, he had lived like an emperor.

  The young man should never have been born. At a young age, he had ceased to be Boryan, Voill’s son, to become somebody else, the reason for which Yavar Aflir had been searching for him for some time. Now he was finally on the verge of discovering where he was.

  Chapter V

  In an Unknown World

  Upon trying to open his eyes, he felt an indescribable weight in his eyelids. After a few seconds, and when the light ceased to dazzle him, his vision began to focus, but his hearing was still not back completely; all he could hear was a penetrating buzz.

  His senses still not having returned to him yet, he contemplated the blue sky and the clouds, the large trees, and the beautiful green of the pasture. He thought that he was on his native planet of Nec, most likely waking up after a nap; one of those that he took in the prairies, near his father’s cabin.

  When he was a little boy, he used to love visiting that place, and now, as he had still not regained full consciousness, he felt that he had returned there. In spite of the intense pain in his body, a big smile appeared on his face; the beautiful landscape was heartening. Suddenly, he began recovering the normal function of his senses.

  The expression of turmoil that took over revealed that fact; there was no way he was at his parents’ cabin. But where am I, then?, he thought. The discomfort in his body was making itself increasingly evident as he endeavoured to get up. An acute pain ran through his whole being. It was all coming back to him. When the buzzing in his ears dissipated, he was able to hear the cries of pain and pleas for help.

  After a failed attempt at standing up, he rolled his body towards the place where the calls were coming from. He strove to raise his head, and saw it. There was the rubble of what up until a few moments ago had been an evacuation ship.