The Galactic Union fell into disgrace. The Colonisers had escaped, taking with them the hostages; many galactic soldiers had died; and Venus had received immense damage. The public opinion condemned what had happened.
By orders of The Union, they would never again manufacture such machines. They were so like humans that they wanted to be free. From that moment on, all the robots that were made were nothing more than obedient machines, without complex thoughts on matters like life or liberty.
“What? Coloniser, you say? Are you serious, Denn?”
“Yes, as strange as it may seem. Something similar to what happened to us happened to them, and they ended up on this planet as well.”
Senlar’s astonishment was not long in coming.
“That’s impossible... Are you sure?”
“I know it’s difficult to believe, but the diary says it clearly, they were here for a time, and then they left.”
“This is ridiculous,” he said, stunned. “Where are we, Denn?”
“I don’t know, friend. They didn’t appear to know, either. They simply arrived here after a failure in their jump system, just like us.”
Senlar was a few seconds in trying to understand what he had just heard, but decided not to turn it over much in his mind; it had to be just an extraordinary coincidence.
“Why did they leave? Is there something wrong with this place?” he asked, worried.
“They were here long enough to repair their ship’s jump system, and then they left, fearing they would be found. Besides, in some parts of the diary its owner speaks of the Colonisers’ desire to leave in search of solidium.”
“Solidium? The Colonisers are made of solidium, aren’t they?” asked Senlar, puzzled.
“Some, not all.”
“Will it be the case that they needed to repair themselves?”
“They’re searching for solidium in order to create more like them,” said Denn, with a considerably more serious countenance. “Those robots are going to be a problem.”
“Why do you say that?”
“I just know. They want to take vengeance on humankind ... You know, there’s something I’ve wanted to tell you... C0-UN1... is a Coloniser.”
An expression of surprise crossed over Senlar’s face; the robot that had been alongside them for all that time was one of those very robots that were famous for their rebellion.
“But what you’re saying, Denn; how is that possible? Don’t you think you should have said something before?”
“Don’t worry, Senlar, I trust him. He’s harmless. He was never with the rebels; in fact, he had not been activated until a short while ago.”
“Where did C0 come from?”
“He was on Earth. I was taking him to be revised, under orders from The Union, when I ended up trapped on the station.”
Denn had just lied, but he had no other option. He wanted to tell Senlar about C0-UN1, but he could not risk telling the whole truth. After all, he had stolen him from Earth and hijacked the station; nobody could know that.
“That explains everything, Denn... You know, the captain was suspicious of you; it was strange to him that you were on S4-07 with such a strange robot. I suppose that now everything makes sense. You should have told us.”
“I know, but I was afraid people would worry... And after we fell onto this planet...”
“It’s not that bad, Denn. It’s a beautiful place.”
“I suppose... It’s a little like my native planet of Nec. What planet are you originally from, Senlar?”
“From Mars. It’s a place like this too. With trees and rivers. I haven’t been there for years... I miss it.”
“There’s something else I need to tell you, Senlar, I trust you, and I don’t want to hide it. I know that public opinion regarding it is bad, but even so I’ll tell you. Nobody, not even my superior officers know, but I suffered a convergence some time ago.”
Senlar remained silent for a moment, in front of Denn’s impatient gaze. The moment became so long that he even began to regret having told him.
“You’re a convergence?” asked Senlar, seriously.
“I am. I hope that doesn’t change anything. I think you already know me well enough to know that I’m a good person. People are afraid of convergences, but I don’t think there’s any reason for that.”
“I agree... I know that first hand.”
“What are you referring to, Senlar?”
“You know what they say: Convergences attract. I’m also one of them.”
“Are you kidding?”
“I’m serious, Denn, I’m a convergence, and even though you may not believe it, so is Neil. That’s why we were working on the station; before, we used to be soldiers for The Union, but after they discovered what happened to us, they transferred us there.”
“You and Neil? It can’t be...” Denn remained pensive for a moment; now a few things were making sense to him. “The captain told me not to trust Neil. Does it have something to do with this?”
“Yes... They said that Neil was unstable. That he had received the memory of somebody violent... But I wouldn’t worry about him, Denn, it’s only a psychological test. You yourself said it, the public believes that we are a risk to society, but the truth is that we can be very useful; it’s just that they aren’t yet ready to accept us.”
“I see...” replied Denn, thoughtful. “When I was on Earth, I spoke with a man who is supposed to be famous for having been a great soldier. He helped to found The Training Academy for Convergences. He told me the same thing. He told me that convergences can help The Union if they’re given guidance; that we’re capable of doing exceptional things.” Denn was looking enthusiastic. He had so wanted to share what had happened to him, and now he was talking with someone who had been through the same thing. “We can supposedly sense things before they happen.”
“I know who you’re talking about. He is also a convergence. He has made an enormous effort for us to not be discriminated against, and instead be helped to develop our abilities.”
“I don’t feel any difference in how I perceive the universe. For me, everything is the same. What about you, Senlar? Do you feel any difference?”
“Yes... I can feel things that I wasn’t able to before. If you began to exercise your senses, you’d be astonished at what you could come to do.”
“I’ve seen you training a couple of times, Senlar. Do you really believe that I should train?”
“Of course,” replied Senlar, smiling. “You should start immediately, Denn.”
“I wouldn’t even know where to begin, Senlar.”
“Martial arts and meditation exercises can help, friend. Don’t worry; I’ll train you myself. We’ll begin tomorrow.”
“You mean it?” asked Denn, appearing like an excited child.
“We’ll do it, friend,” replied Senlar, happy.
The following day, Senlar followed through on his promise. Denn’s training began. The results were soon to be evident.
Chapter VIII
Alpha
Dasslak was in a hurry to leave. Completing his job was turning out to be more complicated that he had thought, and he had already spent a couple of weeks as a guest in the Afkbar palace; rather longer than he would have liked. So when one of the men from the Afkbar family showed up in his room, very early in the morning, claiming to have news of the woman he was looking for, he did not waste even a second in making himself present in Shar’s study.
The pirate escorted him through the luxurious palace to the spacious area where Shar was waiting for him.
“Here is Dasslak, sir,” announced the pirate.
“Sit there,” the Red Pirate said to the assassin, pointing at a chair that was in front of him. “I’ll be right with you.”
Shar read some files on the device on his eyes, moving his hands in the air, authorising movements and approving attacks. Dasslak was becoming increasingly impatient, but he had learnt not to show his emotions. Just before he was
about to say something, Shar spoke:
“How have you slept?”
“The same, sir. I haven’t been able to sleep very well in recent weeks.”
“What do you think it might be? Could it be, perhaps, that my house is not sufficient for the legendary assassin?” said Shar, in a sarcastic tone.
“I usually don’t have problems sleeping, but for some time now, I’ve been having a strange dream... And I hate dreams.”
“Ah! A dream? Are you going to tell me about it?” asked Shar, intrigued.
“Maybe later ... Do you have news for me? Have you found her?”
The Red Pirate smiled at him. He had managed to get hold of the information that Dasslak was after. One of his spies on the planet Edmye, in the Innim system, heard of the woman who had supposedly found The Augur.
“I have good news and bad news,” replied Shar, with a mischievous smile.
“I’m listening, sir.”
“The girl you’re looking for, I know where she is, or rather, we think we do. Unfortunately for you, she’s on Edmye.”
Edmye was a dangerous territory, inhabited by bandits. A world plagued by poverty and crime, governed by various gangs that divided the power between themselves. Each one controlled a specific territory. The planet was not unknown to the assassin.
“Perfect,” he said, showing no enthusiasm. “In what part of Edmye?”
“You’re not worried?” asked Shar, somewhat disappointed; he wanted to have a little fun by giving bad news to Dasslak, but the man did not appear to have become upset in the slightest.
“Worried? Not at all.”
“Well perhaps you won’t be so calm when I tell you exactly in which place she is to be found...” he said, smiling. “...She’s in Brass! The woman you’re looking for is one of the Alpha hoodlums. I have sources that confirm it.”
Perhaps it wasn’t such good news after all. The Alphas were one of the several gangs that controlled the territories of the infamous Edmye. Pirates and bandits worked to their orders in the dangerous city of Brass.
The assassin was not one of the most-loved people of the Alphas. Their most important member died at his own hands, on a previous job. The Alphas tried to capture him, but they gave up before long, after losing several men. The hatred they had for him was well known. Now he would have to go directly to the domain of this enemy gang.
“Excellent!” said the assassin, without showing any unease. “This is all I need to know, sir. If you will allow me, I will be off immediately.”
Shar went back to being disappointed; alarming Dasslak seemed impossible.
“Damn it, Dasslak!” growled Shar, and he paused. “Are you not capable of feeling fear, or something?” The assassin gave no response; he remained quiet, looking at him. Shar gave up; he was not going to manage to annoy him. “...Well all right then, I’ll call somebody to take you to the station where your ship is. You can go immediately.”
“I’ll be on my way then. I appreciate the help, sir, you know I don’t like to inconvenience other people.”
“None of this thanking me, Dasslak; you’ll have to do me a discount the next time you work for me... What am I saying, discount! ...The next job you’ll do for free.”
Dasslak nodded calmly.
“That seems fair, sir. The next job will be free; then, we’re square.”
“Don’t be so confident, you bastard,” he said to him, smiling, “I’m going to search the whole galaxy until I find the most difficult person to kill, and then I’ll hire you to kill them, just to annoy you.”
“As you wish, sir.”
“What an arrogant man. Always trying to impress.”
“Not at all, sir, I’m very modest, it’s just that sometimes I’m not capable of hiding my multiple talents.”
The pirate who had escorted him was not so convinced. ‘That doesn’t seem very modest’, he said in a low voice. Shar thought the same.
“Then you could say that everything you do is to impress,” claimed the Red Pirate. “Even your pseudonym ... Dasslak. It’s a powerful pseudonym. Why do they call you that? I never asked.”
“Because of a misunderstanding, sir.”
“Misunderstanding? It sounds interesting.”
“It’s a story for another day. Now I should be going.”
Shar gave an expression of anger, moved his hand to catch the attention of the pirate who was waiting behind the assassin, and said to him:
“Have them bring a ship, and escort the Executioner. We’ll have to bid farewell to his pleasant company,” he said in tones of irony.
“Yes sir,” said the pirate, and he turned towards the assassin. “Please come with me, Mr Executioner.”
Dasslak followed his escort, and waited for the ship that would bring him back to where he had come from. This time, the journey seemed longer to him. He was anxious to find the girl that would take him to The Augur. Once he was back on the station, he checked that his ship and his things were just as he had left them, and asked them to open a wormhole to the Innim System, so that he would be able to continue on his way.
Immediately everything was ready, he set off. He had to visit several jump-gate stations, making a payment for crossing permission at each one of them, via increasingly dangerous places. He traversed great distances across the solitary space, taking advantage of the time to get in contact with Yavar Aflir, sharing with him the advances in his search, and requesting some resources that would be of use to him, in order to complete his job. In one week, he travelled through the savage space of Autoro with practically no complications, approaching ever closer to his destination.
The scant checks carried out in the majority of the stations he visited facilitated his crossing though without being identified until he reached the Innim System, a dangerous territory, even if one did pay permission for transit.
He travelled through the system to the planet Edmye, and headed for the city of Brass, the place in which there was the famous Alpha tower, the centre of operations for the depraved gang. He was determined to find out which of its members had been in The Augur’s presence.
A few moments later, he had arrived. The city, jam-packed with dirty and overpopulated buildings, was a refuge for the corruption of its inhabitants, who gathered in the markets, buying and selling the product of the thieves’ and traffickers’ work. The incessant rain that fell upon the place did not seem to wash away the filth from the dark and depressing metropolis. It was the living image of the majority of the cities on Autoro.
He landed his ship in a hangar owned by the Alphas, controlled by a strange being by the name of Golat. In his head, there bulged three large black eyes, a miniscule mouth, and some holes in his sides that served as ears; on his neck, something akin to gills, served for his breathing. His body was rather more peculiar; a large sphere supported on top of some thick tentacles that could stretch and contract at his will. His light-coloured and coarse, wrinkly skin protected him like armour.
Dasslak knew that Golat would be able to communicate with the Alphas. He thought it was better for him if he announced his arrival, instead of just appearing suddenly. He got out of his ship, put up the hood on his raincoat in order to shield himself against the rain, and walked towards the counter to talk with the administrator.
“You work for the Alphas, right? What is your name?”
“Yes? Who wants to know? Yes?” said the creature in a sharp, barely understandable tone.
“They call me Dasslak.”
One of Golat’s men, who was sitting on a chair behind the counter, turned around, surprised at hearing that name. After looking at the assassin’s face, he shot up from his seat, fairly nervous, and he addressed his boss:
“It’s El Vaquero, Mr Golat!” he said to him, and took out his weapon, pointing it at Dasslak, who did not appear to worry; he expected this type of reaction.
“Yes? Who?”
“El Vaquero!”
Golat’s three eyes opened to their widest. It
was clear that now he knew who the person was that had arrived at his hangar. He felt immediate fear; this was a dangerous man, enemy of the Alphas. He shouted a few words in another language, and the rest of the men came running with their weapons.
“You’ve come to kill me? Yes? Do you have any idea who I am? Yes?” he said, nervous.
“Relax,” said the assassin, very calm, “I’m not looking for trouble. If I had come to kill you, we wouldn’t be speaking now. I need to see the Alpha’s leader... You work for him, isn’t that so? Tell your boss that I’m here. Tell him that I just want to talk with him.”
Golat was mistrusting; he did not believe that this famous assassin would be there just to talk. Even so, it was irrelevant what he thought: he had to report what was happening. He went up to a primitive communicator, a screen on the wall, and stretched out one of his tentacles to put in a few commands that connected him with the Alpha Tower.
“What do you want?” came the voice through the communicator.
“I need to talk with the boss. Yes?”
“He’s listening. Talk!”
“Yes? I’m sorry to bother you. Yes? El Vaquero is here. Yes?”
“El Vaquero? Dasslak the assassin?” came a different voice. It was the Puppet Master.
“The very same. Yes?” replied Golat. “He’s in front of me. Yes? What should I do? Yes?”
The Puppet Master got up out of his chair in the Alpha Tower, and with his hand he made a signal to one of his men to follow him with the device through which he was communicating with Golat. He walked towards the balcony of his apartment, and took an enormous umbrella that was hanging from a hook.
“I don’t want my clothes to get soaked, my mother would kill me...” he said, smiling, “... Oh, I forgot! My mother’s already dead!”
The Puppet Master opened the umbrella and walked outside into the rain. He was on the very top of the Alpha Tower, a small building, of fifty floors. Just in front of his balcony, less than a kilometre away, was Golat’s hangar. “Give me the visor,” said the Puppet Master to the man accompanying him. His man handed him a pair of antiquated binoculars, and he looked through them. In spite of the rain, the view of the place was ideal. A perverse smile unfurled across his face as he verified the unmistakable appearance of the legendary man and his formidable sword. It was even more exciting for him, seeing Golat’s men pointing their weapons at him. He thought that, if he wanted to, the assassin would be able to eliminate them in an instant.
Convergence: Genesis Page 12
