Convergence: Genesis

by Flores Bermúdez, Heiner; Christina Hopkinson, Rachel;

  The howling and roaring of unknown beasts prevented anybody from sleeping. The drones that were constantly flying in all directions, following the sounds, did nothing to help put anybody’s mind at ease. Something must be nearby, they thought, at seeing the spherical machines moving throughout the entire area.

  It was not at all easy. One person’s fright, upon discovering enormous insects walking over their body, did not allow the others to rest. To make things worse, the night would not be short: it lasted almost fifteen hours on this planet.

  They were lucky; no dangerous animal came close to their camp, but the fear that was endured during the course of the long and horrible night was not something they wanted to feel again. When it was barely daytime, the first thing in their minds was to begin the search for a more suitable place to create a permanent camp.

  Senlar sent several people to look for fruit and water; their reserves were about to run out. Denn, on his part, took a group of nine soldiers and two vehicles, and went to explore the place in search of a suitable site to construct their colony.

  Neil Gobi had no other option but to help. He was assigned a small group, which included C0-UN1 and a cargo vehicle, and was put in charge with collecting materials to construct a fort.

  Everybody did their bit; some inventoried their resources, and others took up what was left from the temporary camp in order to leave as soon as Denn returned.

  The short time they had spent so far on the planet had been enough for them to get to know a few of the species they would be faced with. They could see flying in the sky an enormous beast that, they deduced, was the same species that had crashed into them as they arrived on the planet. It was the size of a small plane, with a long beak and red feathers.

  But that was not the only amazing animal; there were gigantic species, feathered beasts, ferocious and agile. Enormous insects, and, in smaller size, species akin to small mammals. The planet was filled with life. As luck would have it, after the spectacular accident, they had not bumped into any other dangerous animal.

  A couple of scientists, Wallace and Olyr, who were amongst the survivors, were fascinated. They were already beginning to analyse the types of vegetation and the enormous insects with the equipment that was still working. Senlar did not limit them; on the contrary, he understood the importance of studying everything they could if they wanted to survive in this place. As such, from that moment, the task for those scientists was to examine everything they found.

  Dani and Qein, together with some other people, helped to load the rest of the things still in the accident zone, a short distance from the temporary camp. In spite of the tragedy they had experienced, Qein remained optimistic. In every corner, he found something that seemed fascinating to him. He looked at the flowers and the trees, and the blue of the sky. He had never seen anything like it in person. This was calming to Dani; her brother appeared to be all right.

  Some six hours later, everything that had been left over from the ship’s remains that was of use had been recovered. Furthermore, the thirty bodies of their friends were appropriately buried very close by, in a small glade. A beautiful place.

  They took a moment to cry for their fallen friends, and say a few words about them. Some of them with tears, and others in silence, they showed their respects to the captain and the rest of them. They had lost their lives, but they would always be remembered with affection.

  After finishing their jobs, they gathered in wait for Denn’s group, in the hope that they would bring good news. It was a good moment to re-gather strength. They had collected a lot of fruits that would be analysed by Wallace and Olyr before anybody would be allowed to eat them.

  “What do you think, Olyr? Will they taste good?” asked Wallace.

  Wallace and Olyr were very young. A couple of youngsters of some eighteen years of age, who had graduated from University ahead of the majority of their classmates. They came from Earth, and had been going to another system to begin their works in a scientific laboratory, property of The Galactic Union.

  A stop at the jump-gate station at the moment in which Denn hijacked it changed the course of their lives.

  They were an eccentric pair, a lot of fun, and very optimistic. Perhaps two of the few who found a positive side to having ended up in this place, just for the simple fact of having the opportunity to study the unknown.

  After analysing the fruits they had collected, they determined that they were safe to eat, and so, for the first time in a long while, the survivors would be trying something different. They all sat together, forming a large circle, and the food they had was shared around.

  They were delighted. The flavours were delicious to them. The hope began to return to the group. Senlar and C0-UN1 were sitting side by side. The robot was watching as the people enjoyed eating; something that he could not do.

  “Sometimes, I feel envious of you,” said the robot.

  Senlar looked confused. He had never heard a robot say such a thing.

  “Envious? Of what?”

  “Of the things you can do. Like rejoicing at having a meal.”

  “The only reason we’re happy is because it means we’re not going to die of hunger. That’s a worry you’ll never have,” said Senlar, and he laughed a little.

  “I’d like to laugh like you.”

  “Why don’t you, C0? Can’t you produce a similar sound to a laugh?”

  “I can, but I think that it might sound ridiculous.”

  Dani, Qein, and others who were nearby, laughed. Senlar felt relieved at seeing how the people were able to experience a good moment, even in the middle of such a situation. He wished that Denn was there to see everybody sharing, eating, and enjoying each other’s company, almost as if they were an enormous family.

  They continued conversing for a little while longer, and before they could finish eating, Denn returned with the nine accompanying men. They were all fine.

  “Friend,” Senlar greeted Denn, “we saved you some fruits. You have to try them, they’re delicious.”

  Denn could feel the good atmosphere between the survivors. Their faces reflected hope, and he was touched by that.

  “That sounds great,” answered Denn, “but we’ve no time to lose. There’ll be perhaps some eight hours of daylight left. It’ll be better if we begin to move. We’ve found a good place to set ourselves up.”

  “Excellent news. You’ll be pleased; we already have everything ready for the journey. Before you go, you might want to visit the captain and the others. We buried them in that area,” he said, pointing to the place.

  Denn nodded sadly. He went to the site together with the nine soldiers who had not had time either to pay their respects, and they were there for a few minutes, giving thanks for the effort they had put in. When they finished, Denn returned and went up to Senlar.

  “Tell everyone we can go now,” said Denn.

  “All right... The site you found; what is it like?”

  “You’ll see, friend, it’s perfect for a camp. It’s not very far from here.”

  “Great, Denn, we really need it. I was already beginning to get worried when you weren’t back. What’s kept you so long?”

  Denn looked all around, making sure that only Senlar would hear him; he did not want to worry anybody unnecessarily.

  “Come over here,” he said, and took him out of earshot of the others, intriguing Senlar immediately.

  “There’s a reason why we were so late. We were investigating, and we found something.”

  Senlar’s face filled with unease.

  “You found something? What?”

  “A construction.”

  “What are you saying, Denn?”

  “A construction. Something created by an intelligent being.”

  “But... What? How is it possible?”

  “It’s simple, it seems we’re not the only ones on this planet.”

  Chapter VI

  Assistance

  That day, just like every afternoon,
Yavar Aflir sat facing the balcony to wait for the young girl who always brought him, on a tray, his tea and biscuits. He never had to remind her, she was always punctual, always with a smile on her face. Her name was Abi; she brushed her beautiful blonde hair herself. She liked to wear it long. The black ribbon she tied it up with that day matched her refined dress of the same colour. For Yavar, her penetrating blue-eyed gaze illuminated any room. The girl was one of his most prized possessions.

  “Here is your tea, master,” said the girl, and she placed the tray on a little table in front of Yavar.

  “You shouldn’t call somebody you don’t respect ‘master’, Abi,” he said to her, and took the cup, sipping the tea.

  “You know that my admiration for you is sincere,” said the girl, with a smile that did nothing to make her comment very convincing.

  “I already know you make fun of me, but you shouldn’t. You ought to be admiring me; I’ve taken a big step, you know?”

  The girl sat down on the floor, next to a cardboard box, and a jigsaw puzzle she had been putting together for days.

  “I prefer real puzzles.” She looked very content. Something to be expected in a little girl.

  “You ought to listen to what I say, Abi. You could learn a lot.”

  “I always listen to what you say, master,” she assured, and looked at him with her sly smile on her face. “You are a great man, master. You definitely deserve this recognition.”

  “You know; I have been working for The Union for a long time. I’ve given my life to it. As much as Voill.”

  “Was everyone sad for Mr Conner?”

  “They were. They all cried at his death. When the Supreme Leader announced the news in Capital Square, I could see peoples’ horror, their suffering. Not only in the capital, in the whole planet... in all of the planets. It’s really tragic what happened. I myself am devastated.”

  “I too am devastated, it’s very sad,” said the girl, smiling. She continued trying to put together the puzzle, in very high spirits. “...Are you the boss now?”

  “Not precisely, Abi. I am the right-hand man to the Supreme Leader. Just like Voill was before his death. I have a lot of power now.”

  “I hope you don’t end up like him, master. I fear for you.” In spite of her comment, the girl did not appear all that concerned. It was almost as if she were not even making the effort to hide her disinterest.

  “Don’t worry, nothing is going to happen to me. Voill had to go away because he was losing sight of what was important for The Union, but I don’t have that problem... Amongst the unfortunate, there are very good things, I will no longer be relegated to second place, I will be able to bring The Union to glory.”

  “Did Mr Conner not treat you as you deserved?”

  “He treated me very well. He was my mentor, and I am very grateful to him. It is a shame for him to end this way, but at least now everything is more secure; all the secrets, what happened with the second Supreme Leader... everything... Now that Voill is no longer with us, I am calmer.”

  “How are the biscuits, master? I baked them myself.”

  “Once again you are not paying attention to me.”

  “How are they?” asked Abi, somewhat stricken.

  “Delicious,” replied Yavar to the girl, who smiled, pleased. “You’re very good with me. I should reward you more.”

  “I would like that, master.”

  “Please don’t call me that, Abi. Not if you don’t respect me.”

  “I understand, master...” The girl lifted her hands in the air, smiling: “I’ve finished, look, master! I finally completed the jigsaw puzzle!”

  “It’s admirable, Abi. Now you definitely deserve a reward. What would you like?”

  The girl got up. With her hand on her chin, she walked to where Yavar was sitting.

  “What can it be? What can it be?” she repeated. “I know!” said the girl, with an enormous smile. “I would like to whip the funny man. Just like you do, master.”

  “Oh! I’m sorry, child, the funny man died. He wasn’t up to any more whipping.”

  Abi’s face filled immediately with sadness. She was greatly disappointed.

  “But I wanted to whip him, master,” she said, distressed.

  “There’s nothing for it, Abi, he’s already dead. But don’t get sad, please,” he said, deeply affected. “If you want, you can whip one of the other prisoners.”

  “Seriously? You’re not just saying that, master?”

  “No. I promise.”

  “Which one?”

  “Whichever one you want... Now go and play in your room, it’s almost time for the assassin to call.”

  “Thank you, master.” She gave him a kiss on the cheek, and went away, jumping.

  Yavar was expecting the call from Dasslak; they had arranged a time, and now there were only a few minutes to go until then. He took advantage of the short time that was left in order to finish his tea and biscuits, and projected a clock on his eye device, just to amuse himself by checking whether the assassin called on time, or if he would be a little late. When there was only one second to go until the agreed time, he focussed his attention, and just in the instant that the hour arrived, a notification for an incoming call from an unknown source showed up, instantly causing a smile of satisfaction on Yavar’s face.

  “Always punctual,” said Yavar, upon responding to the call. The sound of his voice was received by the device on his wrist, eliminating the background noise and transmitting what he had said to a very small device in Dasslak’s ear, all via The Union’s networks, which sent signals within seconds to several spots in the galaxy, using wormholes.

  “A great man must be punctual,” claimed Dasslak. “I don’t like to boast, but punctuality is another of my many talents.”

  “I agree... You did an excellent job! Everyone is very confused. They simply don’t understand why that Zahavian would want to kill him.”

  “Sooner or later they will discover that the Zahavian had nothing to do with it. The only reason I used him was to go unnoticed whilst I left Danduri... Speaking of which, I remind you that you must not say my name during this call.”

  “The line is secure,” said Yavar. “There’s no need for you to be so mistrustful.”

  “If you want to be careless, that’s your problem, but I have my methods. You can talk about whoever you want, but don’t say my name.”

  “I understand perfectly; all I’m trying to say is that you can trust me.” Yavar was trying to win over the assassin; he knew that he could be a great ally.

  “You’re joking, right? You’re probably one of the least trustworthy and most disloyal people in all the galaxy.”

  Dasslak did not respect people like Yavar. He had insulted him on purpose.

  “That should not be coming from the person I hired to do all those things you consider disloyal.”

  “Has my comment upset you?” asked Dasslak. “It’s not personal, it’s just what I think. I don’t feel respect for you.”

  Yavar did not allow anyone to treat him like this and get away with it. Against his wishes, he had to put up with it. Dasslak’s services were very valuable.

  “What did Voill say?” asked Yavar.

  “Many things... He said that somebody found The Augur.”

  “I know. We looked for him, but didn’t have any luck.”

  “He also spoke of Bornew, and the hijacking of the station.”

  “We’ll follow up on that in a moment,” Yavar stopped him. “I want to know if he spoke of Boryan.”

  “Boryan? That was interesting. He told me where to find him. It wasn’t difficult.”

  “As I suspected,” said Yavar, satisfied. “He always was predictable.”

  “Do you want me to kill this Boryan?”

  “Kill him? What gave you that idea?”

  “The target said that you’d want to kill him, because he is a threat to The Union. He said that The Augur advised to dispose of him.”

  �
��Oh! I understand, so he really did tell you everything... I’m not going to kill him... or at least, that is what I’m trying to avoid. It’s the reason why I’m searching for him; I am going to take charge of the situation. If I start to think that there will be problems, I will dispose of him myself.”

  Dasslak was feeling curious. The whole matter seemed very strange to him. Why would The Augur say to Voill that the young man was a threat who needed to be killed? There was definitely something strange behind the whole thing.

  “Why would the target tell me Boryan’s location? The man was going to die, there was no need for him to do it.”

  “When he found out he was about to die, he very likely wanted to ensure that his son would be killed... or at least monitored. As you know already, they told him that he would be a threat. That’s what he was like, always concerned for The Union. It really is a shame he has had to go... Anyway, it wasn’t all that important whether he said it or not, I was already very close to discovering his location on my own.”

  “This Bornew; are you interested in carrying on with that?”

  “Of course I am,” replied Yavar. “We’re doing everything we can to find Bornew. If you’re prepared to accept the job, I’ll pay double the fee.”

  “I examined his record, it doesn’t say much. Have you obtained more information?”

  “Not much. He’s a soldier from Tau Ceti, although there’s something strange; in the official archives, it says that he has been a sergeant for over a year, but it seems to be a lie. We contacted his supposed squadron, but nobody knows him.”

  “One of his superiors must know something.”

  “Must have known something.”

  “What do you mean?” the assassin asked, surprised.

  “After the hijacking, we tried to contact his commanding officer, but he was missing. They found him dead a few weeks later. We suspect it was Bornew himself who killed him. We don’t know anything else.”

  “There’s not much to work with,” said Dasslak. “Perhaps it can’t be done.”