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!

***

The Thirteenth (Part 3)

It was not too late at night, in the suburbs. The silhouettes of two people, with very dissimilar looks, moved among the shadows, among the narrow streets and the dark alleys. Some people were still walking outside, others were chatting happily in the pubs and restaurants. It was quite a pleasant and fresh autumn night, fresh but not chilly at all. To the stronger man, that temperature was ideal, but his companion was uncomfortable, feeling his pale and fragile body tremble with cold.

- Let's go that way. We are not far by now. I just hope I don’t give the old man too much of a fright.

The other man looked at him, not quite realizing what that really meant and continued to follow the strong man, first behind a large house, which covered a whole block, in the farthest part of the village, then through a children’s playground at a small park and then they finally crossed a large patio that led them into a dense group of large trees.

When they started walking through the woods, they hit some branches of the Swan Milkweed that were hanging on their way and that had a surprising effect on some of the forest's temporary residents. A rustle of movement and color impressed the clone, but irritated the man who led him down those dark paths in the cool autumn night.

- Oh! What are these?

- They're butterflies. Monarchs, more specifically...

- How interesting... They are so...

Words failed him. He could not, with such a short life, say what he felt about beauty, one of the few things that really impressed him.

- ...annoying when they fly around us. We should avoid these swift moves because anything we do can raise suspicion and put us in danger. We have to keep our presence as discreet as possible.

The clone looked at the man, who was annoyed with such beauty and did not understand why he did not enjoy that unusual moment. The man pulled him by the arm, whispering, irritated.

- Let's go! Every minute we waste is too precious and we'll miss them eventually. You'll know more about the Monarchs, if you ever have the time... Now, let’s move on!

They finally arrived at the entrance of a tunnel, hidden in the basement of a building. From there, after passing through a series of other passageways, tangled in a rather intricate network, they finally got into a small old shed, built in the backyard of an ordinary house.

From there, they noticed there were lights on in the house, showing evidence that someone was still up. They were careful to stay hid in the shadows until they were absolutely sure no one could see them. The silence was proof enough that there was no danger. The two of them stepped up to the door. The stronger man knocked on the door with his knuckles. He then stopped for a short while and knocked again twice. That was the code he reminded. At the sound of footsteps coming from the inside, he felt a strange apprehension.

A middle-aged man opened the door, but his expression soon changed from a smile to a mix of worry and fear. What those two strangers were doing there at his door, using the code only known by his son and daughter, was unknown to him, but he felt they were no good news. The strongest man reminded him of someone he knew, but he could not recall who that could be.

- What can I do for you?

The man kept the door half open, trying to control the situation. He sensed that he was at a disadvantage, but he had to try and intimidate the visitors, who still stood somewhat in the shadow of the night.

- Can we come inside? It is important.

- No. You cannot, without telling me who you are and what you want.

 The younger man stepped forward, while the older man grabbed the door firmly, trying to close it, before he lost control, but his strength did not match that of the other one.

- Father?

The man's eyes widened. That was unexpected. He was absolutely sure he had no children that age. The younger man's eyes, however, when they were struck by the light from within the house, were as green as his son's, but he immediately refuted that common characteristic.

- My son is a lot younger than you and I'm pretty sure I've never had another one. I do not know who you are or what you want, but you will not get anything from me.

- I know it sounds unbelievable, but I can explain... Let us in, please. We are all in danger.

The older man’s face changed immediately to a very serious and hard expression. The younger man then tried his last attempt.

- I’m not trying to fool you. Look at this! Do you believe me now?

The man pulled the door open, carefully, so as to let the two visitors in. Until then, he'd hardly noticed the features of the little man, which he now watched, attentively. He was extremely pale, young and almost hairless. His head seemed to be disproportionately larger than those with whom he used to be. Her skin looked very thin. The green eyes also reminded him of someone, but he did not catch it at first. He was now busy examining that strange being whose anomaly he had already seen before in his own son.

- How could this be possible?

- We believe the answer is here at this time. That's why we need your help.

The three of them turned their attention to a spot in the shadows, behind the old man, from which the female voice was coming.

- Leona? What happened to you? You're so different...

- We are all, Father, but…

- You shouldn’t have come.

- And let you trigger a catastrophe? This untimely behavior of yours has already put us in a very big trouble... We have to interfere as little as possible with this time and place. Everything we do here, will surely have consequences in that world.

- What world? Can anyone explain this whole mess to me?

Before her brother began telling improper truths, Leona went forward. She would be more careful with the words and say only what would not change… much… the course of the events, but their father had to know what happened... or was going to happen... as a matter of fact… so he could help them.

The scientist listened quietly but not without showing how impressed he was. He would never imagine how important his research would become in the future. In his modesty and simplicity, behind all intelligence and brightness, he did not foresee that his work would bring so much benefit to mankind... or at least to a portion of it...

***

- Father, the chief scientist, who is a very experienced and competent man, could not find out what caused that anomaly in the clone. The concern is that it is serious and that will put a good part of those who are born at risk, as if it were an epidemic, difficult to control. Some element in the vaccine might have stopped working, or there was some mutation of a sort.

- I brought a sample of the new vaccine, which is under test, to be analyzed by you. How did you reverse the effect when it happened to me? There is no record about this in the known data.

- I know. I never left any of it written in the official records. I only made a few notes in my diary, which I kept out of sight for everyone. But I know what to do... I dealt with it not so long ago. But we're must first go to the University's laboratory, do some more tests. We have already eliminated the... err... I do not know if it will result in a clone, whose DNA may have already undergone many mutations, nor do I know what kind of reactions can still happen, but it’s worth a try.

Before they left, however, the man looked at the three visitors and, frowning, asked, with childlike ingenuity.

- What are clones for, anyway?

The three of them looked at the old scientist, as if he had said an obscenity. Leona laughed tenderly and said to him,

- I’ll try to explain on the way...

***

- What is it? It's so nice...

- It’s music. Let's go.

- Where is it coming from?

- Come on! Quickly! We do not have time for this.

The father, much more patient than his son, tried to explain, in a more or less coherent way:

- Music is the language though which the souls of men talk to those of the gods. It is capable to touch the most intangible living being. There are many different types and styles. This one that you hear is by a famous artist, who no longer walks on this Earth.

- No? Where does he walk on, now?

- He’s dead. His name was David Bowie. The music comes from the club bar ahead, but we should avoid going there. We cannot raise any suspicion and it’s too late in the evening already...

- By the way, we have to find a name for you. If someone stops us, for some reason, it will be the most convenient... and appropriate way. We should not take unnecessary risks.

- I am the Thirteenth.

- Yes. But that's not a decent name for this place. We have to choose another one; more common and suitable...

- Could it be David Bowie?

Leona chuckled loudly.

- It can be David. Forget the Bowie. It will raise more suspicion if it is used here.

***

The university campus was practically deserted when they arrived. There was a white van at the entrance, parked near the research area, where the lab was located. The letters N. M. E., painted in red, on the sides, did not raise suspicions, when the four characters descended the flight of stairs, which took them to their destination. As soon as the scientist took the key out of his pocket and turned the lock in the narrow metal door, a hiss was heard and a deep mark was engraved above his head, in the light gray hard metal. They threw themselves in, closing the door behind them so to gain some time and rushed to the Main Lab.

- Who are these? We are being attacked by fire guns. We have to get away and try to get back to the terminal. Let's all go. Run!

As they entered the lab, they dragged a large cabinet and blocked the door.

- We must use the emergency exit that is located at the opposite end of the laboratory. I'll show you the way. Now, hurry and keep on walking to the end of the hall and go through the door where it’s written "To the roof" and, instead of going up, go behind the stairs. There is another door there, at the bottom of the broom and cleaning cabinet, painted the same color as the walls, to make it difficult to find. I’ll have to go back and get my notes.

At that moment, they heard a loud blast. The front door had been broken into with explosives. The sounds of footsteps running down the hall, very close to them, made them panic and imagine a hurried escape plan.

- There is no time to go back. We have to get out of here as soon as possible. They are already coming after us...

- But it's extremely important... it's right in the desk drawer...

The younger man knew his father was right. It was extremely important to seek the information, to fulfill the purpose of that time travel or else it would have been useless. Without thinking much, he decided:

- I’ll go back. I'm faster and stronger. I can defend myself better, and besides, when we get back to the terminal, we will not be able all four to travel at the same time. The programming will be done for three, only...

- We can reprogram it.

- If we have time... Let’s hurry. I’ll come back. Don’t wait for me. Don’t worry, I'll find a way. If the portal is not open anymore, I’ll wait for a signal.

- We'll send one, as soon as we get there, programming the terminal for a passenger, only, so it closes as soon as you get in and we bring no more danger along with us to the future.

- OK. Now, let's move on. Time is short.

Leona felt a sting in her chest. Things had gotten out of hand. The whole operation had been too risky, and now they were struggling to stay alive. She had the lead and show the way, but they had to be fast and unsuspecting, until they reached the terminal.

Then they heard a series of gun shots. What an efficient and dangerous way to rush things...