To the robot, it still did not appear all that logical to continue searching for a place that would not help them in any way to vanquish Neil. He was worried about Qein and the others, and the more days they lost, the more danger their loved ones would be in. The night arrived, and yet again they looked for a suitable place to shelter. C0-UN1 decided not to keep his concerns quiet:
“I think we’ve looked enough now, Denn.”
Denn looked visibly irritated, it was obvious that he himself was as frustrated at not finding the place as the robot. But he did not seem ready to give up.
“I know it’s here somewhere, C0. We have to keep looking.”
“Have you forgotten about our friends?”
“I have not forgotten,” he said, wound up. “I’m going to kill Neil sooner or later.”
“I didn’t say Neil. I said our friends. They’re in danger.”
“I will have my revenge!”
“Denn... I know how you feel, but those people are in danger, and it is our responsibility to protect them. We need to be thinking about them, and we need to hurry up, we don’t know what could happen to them.”
“I need to find that place... Until I do, I’m not leaving here.”
“All right, Denn... but don’t expect me to do the same. Tomorrow is the last day I plan to waste searching; after that, I’m going. I cannot leave all of those people with Neil. I fear the worst, and if you are not going to do anything, I will.”
Denn did not know what to say, it was clear that he was not thinking straight. Time was running out, and they had not found the Coloniser’s shelter. C0-UN1 was right, but there was a motive behind his wanting to see that mysterious place before confronting Neil. He was certain that he was going to die; in the middle of the night, he could not take his thoughts any longer.
“You know, C0... My father had a very lovely cabin in the countryside, on my native planet. He would bring my mother and I there for holidays, I remember it as if it were yesterday. I loved going there,” Denn spoke from his corner, with his back to the robot, who was now listening intently. “It was a very pretty place, full of trees, and lovely vegetation. A complete paradise, just like this planet. The three of us used to lie down on the grass and watch the sunset... I miss that cabin.”
“It sounds wonderful, Denn. I would like you to take me to see that cabin someday.”
“To tell the truth, I don’t know if it’s still there. I haven’t been to that cabin since I was a little boy.”
“Why not?”
“When my father died, my mother got rid of it. I suppose it brought back sad memories for her.”
“Your father is dead...? I didn’t know. How did he die?”
“He was travelling to some place... I don’t know where... Days before he left for his trip, I had some very strange dreams. I was certain I was never going to see him again. When my father came to say goodbye to me, I begged him not to go, but he did anyway. The following week came the news. His ship had been attacked by a Vialiki fleet. My father died along with the rest of the crew of the ship he was travelling on. I always kicked myself for not having done more to stop him. I knew it was going to happen.”
"I'm sorry, Denn."
"I'm afraid, C0, but not for my life. I want to find that place before confronting Neil. I need to verify that I wasn't mistaken before I die."
"You're not going to die, Denn. I'm not going to allow it."
"Ever since all of this began, I've been having a horrible dream. Night after night, always the same; I am asphyxiating, something is pressing my neck, I feel like life is escaping from me... It's the same as when I was a young boy, when I dreamt my father would die. This dream is also going to become reality. I'm absolutely certain."
"You've been under a lot of pressure, Denn. It’s understandable for you to dream about those things."
"I know that it's real, it's the same feeling I had years ago. In the dream there is a man who is trying to kill me. I can't see his face, but he's coming for me. After I begin to asphyxiate, I feel a lot of pain, and as hard as I try, I can't breathe. That's when I wake up. That person has to be Neil."
"It's normal to feel fear, Denn, but you're not going to die."
"I don't fear death, nor do I fear confronting Neil, I’m wishing for it. What I'm afraid of is that everything's been for nothing. If my dream is real, and it's true that I'm going to die, I want to at least be able to check that everything I thought the Colonisers would do was true."
"What difference will that make, Denn?"
"I don't know. Maybe there's something that might help us to continue. If I'm right, and I do die, you must do it; you must stop the Colonisers. I wish that nobody had died, but it's already done. Now I can't allow those deaths to be in vain."
"You're not going to die, but even if something did end up happening to you, I promise you, I will carry on with what you started. The first thing we have to do is stop Neil."
The robot's words gave an element of peace to Denn. Just because he believed in him, and because he was prepared to follow him, that was enough to encourage him to keep going, at least a little longer.
"If we don't find the Colonisers’ shelter tomorrow, we will go to stop Neil. You’re right, C0, it’s my fault those people are in danger; it’s time to do something.”
His mind now somewhat more at ease, Denn managed to rest a little, until the morning returned. Now they would search for the last time. C0-UN1 wanted to be sure to know all of the details.
“Exactly what was it that Senlar said?” asked the robot. “There could be some detail there that helps us find this place.”
“Just that he had found one of the robots’ shelters, and that he saw horrible things."
"Did he say how he came across it?”
"It was pure luck. He was on a hill reading that robot’s diary. On one of the pages, the robot spoke about the sunsets, and how he was able to see his friends in the distance in a clearing. By coincidence, Senlar was in the very place the robot would sit to watch the sunsets. From there, he was able to look at the area the robot was talking about.”
“Why had you not said this?”
“I don’t know; in any case, we don’t know which hill it is. It’s the same.”
“No, it isn’t. It’s easier to find a hill with a good view of the sunset in this area, than a place hidden in the earth.”
Denn looked embarrassed, he had not even considered searching for the place that Senlar had visited the day he read the diary. The only thing they had been searching for was the Colonisers’ shelter.
“Then do you think we might be able to find it, C0?”
“Perhaps. In this area there are several places with a good view of the sunset. I can think of a few hills that Senlar could have visited.”
They searched for several hours, and in the end, C0-UN1 was certain that they had found the right hill. Denn searched the horizon but did not find any indication of the robot shelter.
“I don’t see anything... Senlar had been very lucky,” said Denn.
“I found it!” said the robot.
Denn was seized by shock. The place that would confirm his suspicions was nearby. He did not exactly feel happiness, that place could contain terrible horrors, but perhaps the key to continuing was there.
“Are you sure, C0...? Where?” he asked, looking towards the same place as the robot, trying to find something.
“Yes, I’m sure. But...”
“Come on, let’s go now!” he said, anxious.
“That’s going to have to wait, Denn. Get down!” said the robot, and he threw himself onto the ground to avoid being seen.
“What is it?” Denn got face down on the ground to one side of the robot, hidden amongst the vegetation. He was intrigued. “Is something coming? One of this planet’s beasts?”
“No, Denn, it’s no beast. It’s a human. They’ve found us.”
Chapter XVIII
Error
Within The Union li
mits, in an unknown location, Yavar Aflir was holding a conversation of great importance to his interests, at the same time that he awaited, now without very high expectations, the report on the mission that Dasslak was carrying out for him.
For a long time, he had fantasised about the idea of capturing The Augur and using his skills for his own benefit, but his recent discoveries caused him to lose hope. His disappointment, however, did not stop him from continuing on with his plans. He had taken a great step, and perhaps he was not going to miss that mysterious ability. He had acquired someone else; someone capable of doing similar things, and although his power did not equal that of The Augur, he would surely be able to achieve great things with him.
This place was one of the many residences he possessed, distributed throughout The Union, utilized for the conducting of his dealings; a custom that he had acquired from his mentor Voill Conner. And it was a good thing he had taught him. He maintained them with a high level of secrecy; a man of his standing could not give himself the luxury of remaining in plain sight. With so many secrets, he needed to have many places in which to sequester himself from the rest of the universe.
The living room, in keeping with the rest of the residence, was loaded with ostentation and luxury. Its interior was finely decorated with extremely beautiful wooden furniture, of Victorian designs. A majestic candelabra situated in the centre of the room illuminated the elegant space, revealing the lovely scene, worthy of the most demanding lovers of luxury. The walls were adorned with beautiful paintings of incalculable value, which, in harmony with the rest of the decor, made the place an utter feast for the eyes.
In his hand he was holding a glass filled with the most exquisite and expensive whisky in the galaxy. A part of him had always been very demanding when it came to celebrations; they always went in accordance with the target which, according to him, had been reached. This was a special occasion. In his mind, he had managed to avoid great problems for his precious Galactic Union, and was not going to miss out on the opportunity to drink from such an exclusive bottle.
He was very polite with his guest. At least, that was what he was trying to make him believe. He had offered him the same whisky that he was drinking himself. ‘There exists no better beverage in the entire galaxy’, he had told him. And he was right; it was not for nothing that very few had access to a bottle of that calibre.
Sitting in that room, they discussed the simplest details of the universe. His guest was not up to date with them, everything was new for him, and as he wanted to convince him to do what he wished, he was being more friendly than usual.
“All of this is very confusing, Lektura,” said the man of young appearance.
“You ought to get used to calling me Yavar, Mr Thoryo,” he said to the young man.
“Hadn’t you said that your name was Lektura?”
“I repeat that, although the part that served yourself and your family was called Lektura, the name of this body is Yavar Aflir. I understand it may be difficult to understand... two minds are fused within me, but that of Yavar is the dominant one. It is who I am.”
“My captors called this body Boryan,” responded the man, getting up from his seat. With an intimidating appearance, he made his way towards a piano positioned at one end of the room, “but my name is Thoryo Dy Oba. If it is true what you say regarding coming from the same place as me, then you will know that I am one of the heirs to power. I will call you what I please,” he told him, and sat down on the piano stool, turning his back to Yavar. One moment later he began touching the keys at random, as if he were carrying out a tuning of the instrument.
“It was not my intention to offend you, Mr Thoryo,” replied Yavar, fighting to ignore the man’s arrogance.
“Don’t worry,” he said, in a friendlier tone, “I’m only playing with you. The truth is that I don’t even remember any Lektura. The only reason I called you that is because that is the name the people you sent to free me from that bastard’s dungeons identified you with. If you want me to call you by a stupid name like Yavar, then so be it. Anybody should be able to choose their own name, without caring how ridiculous it may be.”
Yavar was highly offended; perhaps Lektura, the part of him that had offered his life to Thoryo and to his family in the other universe, had been one of the most loyal and fervent of servants, but the dominant part, Yavar Aflir, was an important and influential person. For him, his superiority over that being, who up until a few days ago was no more than a prisoner, was more than obvious. He fought not to remind him that he ought to be grateful for having been liberated, and continued with his attempts to manipulate him for good.
“It’s a pity that you don’t remember Lektura; that part of me was always loyal to you and to your family. In the other universe, when it was discovered one could send someone here to look for you, Lektura offered himself right away. He was wishing to see you again.”
“He was?”
“He did everything he could, and in the end he achieved it. He was very lucky; that part that came to this universe became ingrained enough to this body to modify my personality. He was very fortunate to join with somebody as influential as me. It is for that reason that...” His words were interrupted by the beginning of a beautiful melody. Thoryo played the piano like a complete professional.
Yavar watched in surprise the ability with which Thoryo played; he would have believed it reasonable for his guest to have considered that instrument as exotic, but he manipulated it with much natural ease. Most definitely, in his life as a prisoner, they had taught him a thing or two. He thought that perhaps Voill, repentant at having his son shut away, had educated him well.
“What were you saying?” asked Thoryo, without stopping the performance of that powerful and masterful sonata.
“I can wait until you finish, sir. In truth, it is a complete honour to listen to you,” he said, trying to conceal his annoyance. He hated being interrupted.
“I can play and listen to you at the same time.”
“Seriously, I can wait.”
“Speak!” he insisted, and the music elevated in accordance with the tone in which he had just spoken.
“I was just saying that the position I hold in this universe is one of much power,” Yavar raised his voice so as to be able to be heard. “It was thanks to that, that I was able to find you so soon.”
“Soon?” The melody from the piano brusquely ceased. Thoryo turned around towards Yavar, and looked at him, irritated by that statement. “I’m not even capable of saying with any degree of precision how long I have been prisoner, and you call that ’soon’? One day, without knowing it, I simply found myself inside the body of a strange being. Barely an infant. In an unknown world in which they called me by a name that was not mine. Me, one of the princes of our species, reduced to this.”
“I’m sorry that you’ve had to wait,” replied Yavar, without being very convincing. “Since you disappeared, you were searched for without rest, until they discovered what happened. You had been transported to another body in this universe. A convergence, as we call it here. A way of reverting the process was searched for. Many were offered for a great experiment. The best scientists created machines that would help connect that universe with this one. People worked very hard to set it all up, and finally one day it happened. Lektura came to this universe. He became a part of me, part of this human body.”
Thoryo looked at him with his large green eyes, attempting to decipher his intentions. Weeks earlier, Yavar had sent for him to be freed, but even so, he was not all that sure that he could trust him.
The story seemed surprising, but it was the best explanation of how he had ended up in this body. Nevertheless, he was not understanding why his advanced species never knew of the possibility of disappearing to another universe. They had always boasted of their power and advanced knowledge, but here he was, learning from a being of another species. His pride was injured.
“These bodies..., this species..., the humans.
.. Earlier you said that it was regarding a civilization of great importance here. Are they the masters of this place, like we were in our universe?”
“The Universe is enormous,” said Yavar. “One barely knows a small part of it. A galaxy, as we call it. Counting, of the known places, two large areas which remain conquered by different groups. One similar to The Galactic Union, with an alliance of planets, all enemies of The Union, and another rife with pirates and thieves. This universe is significantly larger than the universe from which you come. Perhaps nobody will ever be capable of conquering all of it.”
“Our species is the master of everything that exists. The humans, whom you appear to love so much, do not compare in the slightest to what we are... Or to what you were...”
“I am a human, sir, it is true, but do not make the mistake of believing me an enemy. Quite the contrary; I want for your species to become known; it is for that reason that I am here.”
“I continue being a Doryo in spite of being in this human body. What is it that makes you different from me?”
“Your convergence took place with a human child. In the mind of that infant, there did not yet exist great memories, nor a well-defined personality. It was yours that prevailed until now. My personality, on the other hand, was barely affected by the being that was called Lektura. I am Yavar, a human being.”
“This species does not compare to the Doryo; we are far more advanced. Our technology is extraordinary in comparison to that of these primitive beings.”
“The technology of the human species can seem to not be as advanced as the Doryan, but it is not down to lack of ingenuity. If you will allow me to tell you something about the history of this species, you will be able to understand it better.”
Thoryo conceded immediately; Yavar was determined to tell him about the capacity and the ingenuity of the human species. It was obvious to him that this man was not a Doryo, and he was only able to consider as an ally someone of his own species.
Convergence: Genesis Page 25
