Oblivion (Part 4: The Future)

The pale skinned man’s green eyes were set sadly at the two young friends. He knew what they wanted from him and he knew what to do, but he did not know if he should… or wanted to do… He was so close to…

***

- Close your eyes. Relax. You’ll be on a hard trip. Try to stay calm.

He did as he was told to. His trip soon began. He felt his face heating up. It seemed to him a bright light was so close ahead. He tried to open his eyes but it was like looking at the sun, so he shut them tight. Some seconds afterwards, he felt the heat receding. He believed it was safe to open his eyes and he did, carefully.

Then he saw it. It was smaller than he thought it would be and was moving faster than he expected. “Oumuamua” or something very similar to it was travelling the space in front of his eyes. He looked around. He was alone in a dark space, like the one when he fell in the hole.

- What the hell? Am I hallucinating?

His body was vibrating as if all the molecules in it were driven in a freaking movement, trying to stay together, but fighting hard for it. Then he felt an excruciating pain. Suddenly it all stopped and he was back in the darkness. He felt as if he was being sucked into a large vacuum cleaner tube in high speed. Then he saw a cool flash of white light and he finally fell into a glass capsule, in the middle of a large white room, without any furniture around. The shock was unexpected. He was on his hands and knees, trying to figure out where he was.

He heard the annoying sound of a siren ringing insistently. He looked around. What he saw was some strange looking people, although somehow familiar to him. He also saw a woman with very deep green eyes. He recognized one of the very pale skinned men. He smiled. He was in the future.

***

- How did you know the terminal was still active?

The pale man looked at the young man in front of him and wondered if he should tell the truth or simply avoid the question and change subject. He decided it was time to say the truth.

- I repaired it myself. I was planning to go back to the future and I knew it would not resist for more than one trip, if so, as it was too damaged. It was luck… In fact, I still don’t know for sure if he succeeded.

- You don’t? Oh, man.

- The damage was almost irreparable. But there was a chance and I had to try it, anyway. I would not mind if anything went wrong with my trip. I’d have not nothing to lose…

- But then why did you not go before and all by yourself? No one would ever know…

- I was not totally ready, but then you guys came and…

- Oh, man. That is not fair and it’s so dangerous anyway.

- It is what it is. That young man needed urgent help and I had the means. I had to help him. Hopefully he’ll come back with an answer.

- And a mission…

The pale skinned man tried to smile but could not. He was not comfortable. He was worried. The sadness in his eyes was so palpable, almost solid.

- Hopefully.

- How long are we to wait?

- If everything goes as planned, just one hour… you know… Time is just a concept. There are too many “ifs” …

The young man looked at him. He was obviously very worried by then. What if anything went wrong? That was insane… but how could he stop a friend in need with such a stubborn resistance?

- I know what you’re thinking. I am as concerned as you are. If the trip was unsuccessful, we would have lost more than just time… and now there is nothing to do but wait.

- Oh, man. I should have never agreed with this madness!

- Too late now! We will have to wait and see… as always…

***

- How could you travel here into time and space? Who helped you?

The Supreme was restless and he was normally a very calm and reasonable man. He had faced some time travellers coming inadvertently into the terminal, but this time he felt something was very wrong.

The stranger kept on looking to the woman, who was also curious about the intent of that interference in their routine, by that young man coming from the distant past of her original birth planet.

The Supreme got even more impatient and told the woman:

- Sort this thing out, will you? And send him back to where and when he came from!

The woman was surprised the Supreme was so upset by a thing that happened so many times before. She knew, however, that he disliked the people from the past. Her brother was a bad example to remember and she knew why she had to sort that thing out, before they had another unpleasant incident.

She set her green eyes on the young man and asked him to follow her to the lab at the Stellar Station, where the doctor would help her with the situation.

Up to the moment when they left, the young man said almost nothing. When they were all by themselves, he looked at the woman and she noticed he was going to say something important. Her heart pounded fast. She knew those could not be good news.

- I have a message from the past and the future.

- You’re not making any sense.

- I know, but you will understand when I explain.

- Then speak, young man.

- Leona…

Her eyes widened. How did he know her name? Her heart was beating faster now. She needed to calm down and she was not likely to.

- I did not come for one reason only. But I’ll need your trust and your help.

- How do you know my name?

- I know more than your name. There are things you must know and act before it’s too late. But I’m here for personal reasons too. I need your help to go back to my past; years before the time I came from.

- How can I trust you and help you? Things are not that easy to do. The terminals are being scrutinized by cameras designed to keep all movements under vigilance.

- I know there is an old terminal at the Stellar Station. The Thirteenth told me about it.

- Who?

- John, the Thirteenth…

- Where is he? How come?

- He is in the past… and cannot come to the future.

- How could you, then?

- Through the terminal he was going to use. It was not totally destroyed when you came through last time… You are in great danger, Leona. You’ve got to believe me.

- Wait. Stop! What are you talking about? John... the Thirteenth… whatever he is being called, is very ill. We are trying to work on the vaccine and we are not succeeding at all. He could not have survived...

- Leona, I need to talk to your father. The vaccines have been sabotaged.

- Sabotaged? By who? Who would be stupid enough?

- Not stupid, Leona. He’s a very wise man with an evil purpose and a hunger for power. We need to do something… urgently, before it’s too late. The Supreme turned into a man with a very twisted mind. He is evil. He will destroy the planet in some days from now.

- No way. You’re hallucinating. He would never… He has all the power he wants. Besides, he is the one more interested in following the results of the research and tests of the vaccine.

- Believe me, please. We are running short of time. How do you think I know all these things? I must talk to your father. Please. I can help you.

- Leona!

The woman turned around. Two older men were coming along the corridor. They simply ignored the visitor, as if he was not there.

- You need to come and see this. The vaccine is not working. The effect is very destructive now.

- Father!

- I can help!

- And who are you?

- A visitor from the past to try and save the future.

- What is he talking about?

She tried to speak, but a cry from the lab on the other side of the corridor made them stop the conversation and run.

- He’s dying!

***