The Wavering Hawk [ENGLISH]

P21. Lost Souls

What kind of world we lived in?

My voice echoed through the empty hall, listened and repeated by the walls and not by any living beings, not the one in front of me, at least. He just stared blankly at the big window in front of us. I didn't know what he was looking up until now. I didn't see this whole scene to be something worth watching, not the twin moons we had, nor the dark grey sky, or the dimming lights from stars and planets on the stretched universe.

"A dying world, in dying universe."

He, The First, moved away from the window. He tapped his fingers on information tab and typing something on the invisi-screen. "Look at what I got from one of their ISS."

He showed me pictures of land full with what book called as buildings instead of red empty desert, blue sky with what they called clouds instead of black starry sky. He showed me what they called trees and what kind of color green was instead of just grey crater and black remnants of meteorite.

"It's Earth."

"In peace." The First pressed another button, showing many signs of environment quality. All of them are at the worst rate. "We've awakened fifty years ahead of schedule."

He switched the pictures to a news report, streaming live from what seemed to be like a war on a deserted place, full of ruins and people in uniforms.

I saw them screaming. I saw them crying. All of them running for their lives, while soldiers attacking them with rockets, canon, and bombs. I looked and saw some of the area was covered in grass. It wasn't on a desert.

"Such a waste," They destroyed a completely fine soil. "That environment could be used for something."

"Indeed. A stupid race with stupid decision every day," He commented. "The clone should be mature enough now, Seven."

"Yes." I answered. "The second wave of preserved DNA should be ready next week after the ex-vitro tube ready."

"We've already reached five hundreds." He paused and looked up at the black sky above us. "It has been five years since I woke up and three years since you, the last one of us, awakened."

As the last progenitor of Martian, that wasn't a pleasant fact to begin with. As if it didn't enough, we received an announcement from Earth that they would be here in next five years, exploring this area to find a new planet.

The First turned his chair around and scanned me. He stopped at my face. I knew he'd notice the dust remained on my face sooner or later. "Second knocked you out again."

There was unknown urge inside my stomach to hide all these dirt from his. It was unsightly. "Pardon me for this incompetence."

"No, you're not incompetent." He stood up. "It's just you and him are not compatible." He walked away from the screen that still running on. "He's the destroyer where you should be a persuader."

Persuade. Not a significant power. Not worthy. "Please explain."

First was more than delighted to do so. "Second was designed to be a watcher. The one who will put an end to all of you if a singularity appear. That's why he was "Raphael". I was designed to be a leader for all of you, that's why I am "Gabriel"." He pointed at me. "And you'll be the one who persuade Earthlings to listened to every of our bid, by all means. That's why you're Mikhail."

The one who approached the enemy. The gate keeper of heaven: Mikhail.

***

I didn't know what happened next.

It was all series of blurred rampaging images. Not even my brain could proceed what happened after The Gleipnir slashed through the air and blood splattered all over my face.