The Yoga Zapper--A Novel, page 23
“You were young,” his father said kindly. “Of course you never understood it.”
Jack sat on his knees, in tattered clothes and bare feet, silently expressing everything he ever wanted to. He left all his sorrow, confusion, and self-loathing behind and pushed away every other thought, feeling, and emotion as time stood still. He poured his heart out from the depth of his being until he had nothing left to say, nothing left to feel.
After a while, he remembered the old man’s instruction to summon his father’s blessings to move on. “Dad, please give me your permission to leave,” he requested hesitatingly. He saw his father move closer. He embraced Jack. A deep feeling of love, something he never before experienced, overcame him. He bathed in his father’s strong embrace for what seemed to be an eternity until, finally, he felt his father release him. He looked up. His father’s uniform had disappeared, his skin looked weathered, a white beard appeared on his face, and his eyes, though old, still sparkled. His father left him only one message before disappearing 'Go ahead. I will always be with you.’
Jack opened his eyes, wiped the tears away, took a deep breath and inhaled deeply. He felt the dark curtain lift, removing all burdens. Whatever anyone might say, whatever explanations his mind would give, whatever rationalizations he could make, he knew the truth his dad stood with him, not as an apparition, but really, truly, always and forever. His doubt and fear left him, leaving him completely unafraid of the future.
“You know,” he remarked, looking for the floating apparition. “My dad almost looks like you….” He stopped. The old man had disappeared. Did he actually see this person floating in the air? A surge of gratitude welled in his heart. You have saved me, he thought. He got up and looked in the mirror. A smiling, happy face beamed back.
* * * * *
The door clanged open and two guards stepped in. Jack looked up brightly. “I am not afraid of anything this world has to offer. I have faith.”
The guards laughed. “We’re taking you to the chief of police. When he’s finished with you, that’s all you’ll have left,” said one.
They marched him into General Contog’s office and deposited him in a chair, saluted and left. Jack remembered the same nondescript red rug and the utilitarian desk. The General, dressed in a blue uniform, black shoes, a military hat, belt, and holster, pressed a button and a low hum filled the room. He walked around the desk and came to the front. Jack stared at the general straight in the eyes.
“Do what you want with me,” he stated. “I am not afraid of you.”
The general laughed. “I’m not who you think I am.”
“What do you mean?”
“Jack, you see me and think I am an evil man. You recognize me as the chief of police, as one who uses his power to control and punish others, but that’s not just who I am.”
“Who are you then?”
The general put his hands on the arms of the chair, bent over and stared right into his eyes. “I am the mole.”
Jack’s eyes widened. “No! That can’t be true.”
“Yes, it’s true.”
“How could you be the mole?”
“Think. When the rebels attacked the restaurant, I waited as long as possible before sending the police, hoping that Kallin would be killed by the time we came. Unfortunately, that didn’t happen.”
“How about last night? When I attacked Kallin, you pulled out your gun.”
“Did I shoot you? No. I wanted to use the opportunity to kill Kallin, but unfortunately, at that exact time, the national security advisor shot you.”
Jack shook his head in disbelief. “But why? Of all people why do you want to overthrow the system? You are one of the few who benefits from it.”
General Contog let out a bitter, empty laugh. “Look at me.” He put his face right up against Jack’s. “Look at my rough skin, my face. What does that remind you of?”
Jack shook his head.
“I was born in a Rak slum. I learned all my hard lessons in life there. All the scratches and cuts on my face came from there. I grew up with nothing to eat, with violence and death all around. I joined Kallin’s army to get out my desperate situation, worked hard and made it to the top.” He straightened up and took a couple of steps backwards.
“But I never,” he declared, pointing straight at Jack, “forgot where I came from.”
Jack sat stunned. “How…how can you be a Rak?”
The General laughed. “You think that all Raks are deformed. Actually most of us are, but many of us are also sufficiently able to be productive. We are the Functionals. We perform many of the ordinary tasks that keep this society functioning. Without us, the Elite wouldn’t survive.”
He walked around for a few moments. “After a few years at the top, I realized how evil and corrupt the system is. Because of the greed of the few in power, the majority of people live in misery. I became determined to fight it.” He went to his desk and pulled out the bottom drawer. “Come here.”
Jack walked over and spied the red computer tablet inside.
“I use this to contact the rebels and coordinate their attacks. Without this, the rebels would all have died a long time ago.” Contog’s amazing, unbelievable, words sunk into Jack’s mind as he stared at the computer.
“So why are you telling me all this?” he finally asked.
“Because of what you have been telling us. About how you claim to be from the past. At first, I didn’t believe you, but after all that’s happened, I’m convinced that you’re telling the truth, for all the same reasons that Kallin gave earlier today.”
Jack walked back to the seat and sat down. “But I don’t believe in the rebels’ faith. I don’t believe anyone can recreate the past.”
“I know that and I don’t really care. All I want to do is to end this evil system.” The general sighed. “What does concern me is that you may have the secret to time travel. If Kallin gets that out of you, we are all doomed.” He walked over to Jack and pulled a gun from his holster. His face stiffened. “I’m sorry, but I have no choice. You have put me in a difficult situation. Being in my position means having to make hard decisions every day. The easiest way for me to make sure that Kallin never finds your secret is to kill you.” He set the gun to ‘kill’ and pointed it at Jack’s temple.
A panic rose in Jack’s breast, but he remembered his father’s words. He smiled. “If this is how I must die, so be it. I’m not afraid.”
The General snapped back in surprise. Confused, he strode back and forth, stroking his face. He walked to Jack and pointed the pistol at him again. “If I pull this trigger you will die instantly.”
Jack straightened his back. “If I die, my soul will be in God’s hands. So what is there to be afraid of?”
General Contog looked at Jack for several long moments. “I think I may have underestimated you,” he muttered, shaking his head.
“How so?”
“I thought of you as an immature spoiled brat with very few redeeming qualities.”
“You were certainly right. But anyone can change—all it takes is a bit of inspiration.”
“You are certainly different from anyone I have met,” the general remarked. He threw the gun on his desk, opened another drawer and deposited something on the table.
“These keys operate one of our aircraft, an experimental vessel, one that cannot be observed or tracked by our systems. Take it. Your secret is as valuable to us as it is to Kallin. As it is, the rebellion is barely hanging on.”
He walked over to the cabinet and pulled out a small handgun and a white computer tablet. “After the guards remove you from my office, shoot them with this weapon. The tablet contains a map of the prison and will give you step by step instructions on how to reach the aircraft. Upon entering the plane, enter the coordinates given.”
“Where will it take me?”
“Right across the globe, near the mountains, where we operate a hidden base. There, your chances for survival are better than anywhere else.”
Jack kept sitting on the chair, still stupefied by the general’s confession.
“Take it before I change my mind.”
Jack grabbed the tablet, the weapon, and the keys.
“Guards!” shouted the general. “Come in.”
Chapter Twenty Nine
Near Shambala, End of Kali Yuga
Jack strapped himself into the cockpit, punched the coordinates into the console and lifted off in the dark without drawing attention. The autopilot kicked in and, for the first time since his meeting with Contog, he relaxed. The struggle with the guards had been touch and go, but he’d got through it, though his shoulders and sides still hurt. He exhaled, letting go of the exhaustion.
The pyramid-shaped, blue-tinted glass craft through which he observed the terrain below, glided west, silent and tight to the landscape. Not much bigger than him, it gave him the strange sensation of having his legs dangling in the air. What a novelty to soar so quietly and so low to the ground! He sped past homes and roads, close enough to see individual people and surmised that the craft somehow cloaked itself from human sight.
The moon shone luminously on the land. He flew past populated areas on the coast, then over gray hills and deep gorges. After a couple of hours he entered flatlands as far as the eye could see, brown and featureless, with not a single sign of humans, animals or plants. He soared over the interior badlands, made of small, dusty hills—yellows, browns and reds—the colors visible even in the dark and, then further on, past deep canyons, tall mesas and a sparkling burgundy desert. The landscape appeared primal, untamed, and full of gargantuan red monoliths resembling ancient edifices from lost civilizations. Vista after spectacular vista spread out and Jack observed, fascinated.
Several hours later came the ocean, recognizable by long lines of white breakers rolling on the shore, sounding like timeless whispers, promising eternity. The craft rose quickly and within half an hour flew high enough that the clouds themselves looked like tiny white pillows against the sea’s blue bed. Jack fell into a deep, restful sleep.
Many hours later, the craft descended and he awoke as sunlight bathed the scene. Beneath him lay a great expanse of yellow, red and brown plains and close by, a series of hills and past them, the unmistakable profile of white-peaked mountains.
Suddenly, an alarm went off on the console. The display showed two airplanes, resembling small dots, approaching from behind. They had discovered him! He peered anxiously below, searching for the rebels’ base, but didn’t see a thing. A red eject button stared back from the console.
A yellow bolt flashed from behind and zipped off into the blue. To complicate matters, his airplane both slowed and moved downwards, descending, he supposed, toward the rebels’ base. The display now showed long, sleek, black interceptors, meant for speed, growing larger, and obviously, close enough to shoot him down. Another flash of yellow shot past. Jack tightened the straps around his shoulders and kept his finger on the eject button.
Suddenly, a red blast sheared off one of the craft’s corners. It spun wildly out of control, rolling and tumbling. Jack’s stomach jumped into his mouth. He gritted his teeth. The side of a high hill came into his view with frightening speed. He closed his eyes and pressed the red button.
The top of the pyramid blew off and he shot out like a cannonball. Jack gasped as the cold mountain air hit him. His abandoned airplane crashed into stone and exploded in a ball of fire as the fighters flashed by with stunning speed. His seat started its downward arc, gently floated into a small flat area between two hills and dropped smoothly to the ground. Jack opened the straps and stood up gingerly, shivering from the cold and his tingling nerves and dived behind a boulder as the pursuing planes made one final pass before disappearing.
He walked back to the seat and, in a compartment on one side, discovered some survival gear a knife, candles, water, rope, and rations. He cut off the seat covering for use as bedding, rolled the provisions in it, tied the whole thing up with rope, and slung it on his back. Only two options presented themselves go up towards the mountains or down into the plains. Surely, Kallin would send others to look for him, and as no shelter existed on the flats, decided to hide in the mountains.
He ascended higher and higher, the exercise getting his blood going. After about five hours of rigorous hiking, he came upon a huge black rock, roughly triangular, big, smooth as glass and sitting on the trail in such a manner as to allow no passage over, through or around it. Jack ran his hands over its shiny surface. It somehow seemed familiar, but he couldn’t put his finger on it. Why did it capture his imagination?
He jumped up with realization. Of course! He had been at this same spot God knows how long ago! Dozens of questions tumbled out of his mind, but no answers came. It seemed so long ago, as if in another life. He smiled wryly. It might have been in another life, he had no way of telling.
The land darkened as the sun hid behind a far-off peak. He had to find shelter, and quickly. Jack scanned the bluffs with knotted eyes and spotted a small cave high above, barely more than a dark smudge between two rocks and carefully climbed up, searching for the tiniest footholds, grasping at any available ledge. He found himself at the narrow opening and heaved himself inside.
The cave opened up into a large area that tapered into the mountain. He carefully rolled a few boulders toward the cave’s entrance, leaving only a small opening, both to keep out the chilling wind and to hide himself from anyone who may come searching. He moved to the back of the cave, covered himself with the material from the aircraft seat and opened a can of rations. Despite his exhaustion, he couldn’t sleep. It would be a long night.
* * * * *
Kallin’s Country Estate, End of Kali Yuga
President Kallin sat at his desk in his office at the country estate. The national security advisor stood next to him. Two pilots presented themselves, tablets in hand.
“Are you sure?” Kallin asked the nearest one.
“There is no doubt sir. We flew over the area twice.”
Besides the standard operational reports, the tablet contained a digital video recording of the entire mission. Kallin fast-forwarded it to where they encountered Jack. As the craft exploded, he smiled with excitement.
“This is where it starts,” offered the pilot. The video showed the flaming wreckage falling, then veered off the crash site and followed a small mountain pass located behind a strange-looking black hill. After a few minutes, the land dropped dramatically and images of a small, beautiful valley appeared, shining like a green topaz set in a field of pearls. Trees and grass, a sight unseen for hundreds of years, blanketed the hidden valley. A waterfall cascaded out of the middle of a rock wall and the river emerging from it flowed through the valley, disappearing into the ground at the other end. Its beauty stunned them.
Kallin gasped. “Good God, what the hell is this?”
“I have never seen anything like it before, sir,” responded the pilot.
“How is it possible for such a place to exist?” demanded Kallin, stroking his chin. “And how did we not know about it?”
The national security advisor shook his head. “It’s impossible. Even though it is in an uninhabited area, our satellites or our moon installation should have detected it.”
“So how do you explain this?”
“It must somehow be shielded from our sensors.”
Kallin rubbed his beard. “Could this valley be connected to the rebellion? Do they have a technology we’re not aware of?”
“It’s certainly a possibility.”
“If so, we have a bigger problem on our hands.”
“What happened to the escapee?” asked the national security advisor
“As you saw, he ejected from his craft just before impact,” replied the pilot. “He landed in front of a small black hill.”
“That dog is still alive,” declared Kallin. “I can feel it in my bones.” He waved his hand and the pilots saluted and walked out of the room.
He glanced at the national security advisor. “I have asked General Contog to report to me. I hold him responsible for letting Jack escape and I will have his hide for this, but I suspect something else is going on.” He arched his left eyebrow. “I will do all the speaking, but I want you to keep your eyes on that man.”
Kallin pressed a button on his desk. In strode the general, with stubble on his chin, his eyelids sagging and the weight of a sleepless night hanging heavy on his face. His eyes sharpened when he noticed the national security advisor.
“President Kallin what can I do for you?”
“I have your report on the escape.”
“Is everything all right?”
“Yes, but I have some questions.”
“Please go ahead.”
“Am I to understand that the fugitive overpowered two guards?”
“Yes, sir. The interrogations of the guards revealed that he possessed a weapon. We checked our inventory and all of our weapons are accounted for.”
“So where did he get the weapon?”
“Last night one of our prisoners—a rebel from the political prisoner wing, a former military man—confessed that he supplied the weapon.”
“How did he operate the aircraft?”
“The manner in which the craft moved suggests it was on automatic pilot. Our interrogation revealed that the same prisoner supplied the coordinates.”
“Where is this co-conspirator?” he probed.
“Our interrogations are rough, as you understand. He passed away this morning.”
Kallin arched his eyebrows. “General, are you satisfied?”
“President Kallin, we are continuing the investigation. If I have any further developments, I will certainly let you know.”
Kallin looked into the general’s eyes. “Thank you, you are dismissed.” General Contog saluted and walked briskly out the door.
