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!
***
