Earth has been turned into a dangerous wasteland by a mysterious event, called The Impact. Monsters roam the contaminated forests. The few survivors hide behind the high, concrete walls of the shelters.
There is only one man, unwilling to give up h...
Time passes excruciatingly slowly. I am worried sick. I have no idea how long I've been lying buried under the blankets in the tub. Not only am I not cold anymore, but I am sweating profusely. It is completely quiet. All I can hear is the splashing of hot water from the nearby shower. The monster must be gone. The cold would not go away if an ice bird were still around. I strain my ears for any sign of Deon, but there is nothing. The thought that he might be injured or frozen to death somewhere on the first floor makes my heart sink. My resolution grows stronger by the minute. I am not a coward. He might need help while I am hiding here. I can't allow this. It is time to do something.
I throw off the blankets and get out of the tub, putting on one of the coats, just in case. The floor is slippery and it is hard for me to keep my balance, but somehow I manage to reach the door without falling. I hesitate a little with my hand on the handle. Deon clearly asked me to do exactly what he said and was quite specific about it. I was supposed to wait for him where he left me. He was not concerned about his safety at all and sounded confident that we were in no danger. The bird seemed to obey him when he shouted at it to stop its screeching. Am I making a mistake by not following his instructions? I certainly do not want to cause him any more trouble. On the other hand, we are talking about a SUP, one of the deadliest creatures on Earth. Those beasts do not even have to attack. Only their presence in close proximity is enough to kill a human. What if he overestimated his abilities and things did not turn out as he expected? How can I leave Deon deal with this on his own? It would be so ungrateful and pathetic. This thought wipes away the last traces of my indecisiveness.
I push the door slightly to assess the situation. The front door is flung open and someone storms into the house, just as I stick my head out through the crack. Heavy footsteps across the living room indicate that the person is quite irritated.
"You better go now," Dion barks in a commanding voice. "And be more careful next time. Do not alert me when you are already on the porch. Give me at least an hour to prepare."
Oh, my God! I am so relieved that my legs buckle. I have to lean against the wall so I do not slide down to the floor. He is alive and obviously well enough to scold someone. His companion must be a soldier. The military came to help him after all. He is more than right to complain. The security alarm was useless. They should have warned him much earlier. Fortunately, they still managed to appear on time.
I prepare to head to the stairs when the other person's response gives me such a shock that I freeze in place, unable to comprehend the meaning of it all.
"This has gone too far, Tenebris*, and is getting too dangerous." The man's voice is harsh and full of determination. "We must leave. It's pointless to delay any further. I am ready. We all are. The subatomic reactor is back to operational mode. Your Lux in Tenebris** is not here. I'm sorry, but you have to accept he facts for the sake of us all. Twenty years are too much. This is turning into obsession."
(Latin: *Tenebris – Darkness; ** Lux in Tnebris - Light in Darkness)
"Deon," my savior hisses. "You'll call me Deon. That's my name now. No more talking about this. I forbid you to mention it again. Am I clear? I am not asking you to like my orders. You only have to obey them. That's what you're here for."
"I may be your Secundus* and Omnia Paratus**," the other man grumbles, unfazed by Deon's reproachful tone. "But I am also your friend. I do not question your orders. However, you must agree that you are acting out of guilt. None of us is to blame. These aggressive apes did this to themselves. They were on the path of self-destruction long before we stumbled upon this wretched place. They never listen and always act out of fear and greed. The other end of the string cannot lead here. We were wrong. Mistakes happen. The oracle will do another calculation. Let's go home and search somewhere else, in a more civilized world. This one could not have created the Lux. You must see the absurdity of such an assumption."
(Latin: *Secundus – The Second; ** Omnia Paratus - Prepared in All Things)
"I saw him. In another time, before and after the present, in my childhood, which has not yet happened. I am sure it was him, but he was too scared to grab the loose end and I lost that reality. It was my fault. He wasn't ready and I frightened him. Astra inclinant, sed non obligant.*" Deon sighs deeply. "Rex Siderum** will understand. You are too harsh on humans. Don't forget where you come from. You'll have to start loving them if we find the Lux among their kind."
(Latin: * Astra inclinant, sed non obligant - The stars incline us, they do not bind us; **Rex Siderum – The Star King)
"You father is furious," the man who's name seems to be Secundus growls in annoyance. "I can tell you that for sure. He would have cut this channel long ago, if you weren't so adamant about staying here. He may understand you, but does not like this and you know it."
"Lower your voice," Deon insists. "Enough! We'll stay as long as it takes. I must be convinced without question he is not here before I give up. Tell Tertius* I will see him in two weeks. Go now. Salve! Semper Fidelis!**"
"Your wellbeing is all we care about. I am sad because I feel your suffering. Looking for something that might not be here will only make you more unhappy. We live to serve you. Semper Fidelis, my prince," Secundus says softly and another creaking of the front door announces his departure.
I slowly and carefully close the bathroom door and settle back in the tub. My mind is like a blank sheet. Deon said 'no eavesdropping' and I proved to be one of the stupid apes who never listen. I wish I had not heard this conversation for the sake of my sanity. I did not understand it. I do not want to understand it. It is so odd and unbelievable that my brain refuses to comprehend. I choose to forget it, but I know I never will. It is going to torture my mind until I dig to the bottom and find out everything.
I do not know the meaning of the foreign words they used, but I recognized the language. It was Latin. Mom loved Latin phrases. She repeated the most popular so often that I memorized quite a few of them. The presence of something familiar in this whole conundrum gives me some reassurance and a plan is quickly formed in my head. My first goal is to find out exactly what they mean. Mom had a dictionary in her room. I hope it is still there. Once I regain my sight, I will go look for it. I am determined to pretend I did not hear anything for two main reasons. First one is that I am ashamed of listening to someone else's conversation again, even though I was specifically asked not to. The second one is the realization that I am not ready for the truth yet.
I will wait patiently. I will unravel the mystery, slowly and systematically and pray that Deon's friends do not persuade him to leave for the place they call home before I succeed. I suspect that no man has ever set foot there and I will hardly be the first.
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