The Astronaut

Part 3: How?

The walls of the cave reappeared, damp and dark. Shigori's eyes burnt red, tears rolled down his eyes. "Father". He squealed again. 

"The cube is a projector from the past. Gliesian technology. The epigram inscribed on it is a warning, one that suggests revenge for the sacrifice that we just witnessed". Gauntlet broke the silence. "Is that correct Lord Shigori?". 

The winged Unomedan nodded. "Gliesian blood. I can sense the presence of seven of them on this planet. Father's creations". He buried his head in his wings again. 

I couldn't control my emotions. Father? 
"Excuse me Lord Shigori? Is the father you are constantly remembering, the God Itzumna? Are you his decendent? If so, how are you alive after so many centuries? Isn't your planet....umm....extinct?".  

He made his way up to me. In the blue light, i saw him swooping down on me, his face inches away from mine. I froze completely, unable to breathe. 
"Yes, I am Shigori, the 7th son of Itzumna. I am surprised you know so much about Unomeda. 70 earth years is one Unomedan year. 50 earth years is one Gliesian year". He retreated back to the dark recesses of the cave. 

"So you mean that Tiago was alive when this young Gliesian was sacrificed by the Mayans?". M16 spoke. 
"Then Tiago's motive for destroying humanity is somewhat clear now. That Gliesian kid must be related to him or the other six Gliesians on earth!". Spear concluded. 
Gauntlet's watch started blinking red, emergency signal. We ran out if the cave, almost tumbling over each other. AATF had issued a worldwide threat alert. Gliesians?

We reached Gauntlet's office and saw 7 screens lit up before our eyes. News agencies reporting mass gatherings from seven places on Earth; the pyramids of Giza, Stonehenge(Britain), Teotihuacan(Mexico), Baghdad(Iraq), Kyoto Imperial palace(Japan) and Sacsayhuaman, 80 miles from AATF, Lima, where we now stand. 

Must be a thousand people at least at each of these locations. One man in a black suit leads each group at seven separate locations. And then, in a split second, the whole world gasped out.  

The leader of each gathering orchestrated a finger and the people pulled out daggers in unison. 7 fingers snapped around the globe and seven thousand people pushed daggers through their own hearts together. Just a split second and thousands committed suicide on camera, in unison. 

I sat down on the floor, clinching my head. M16 collapsed with a thud, rendered unconscious. The Gliesians have made their move, the daggers have gone in just the way the little Gliesian kid was sacrificed so many centuries ago. 

The bugle has been heard, it's war. 

Gauntlet sprang into action, he gathered a team of five and set out for the nearest site. Spear and Kalashnikov lifted M16 and brought him back to his senses. I disappeared amidst all the confusion. 

The door to the cave granted me access as a senior AATF executive and I progressed through the dark once again, with the help of a small light projector. Shigori, help us. 

The dark abyss around me disappeared, i stood on a sloping meadow under a red gibbous moon on some otherworldly night, far away from any place on earth. The planets and stars in the sky are unfamiliar, so is the blue grass underneath my feet. I felt a large presence behind me. 

"I can read your mind'. Shigori said calmly. "You are on Unomeda, do you like it here?". 
"This is an illusion isn't it? Unomeda is gone!". I replied hastily. 
"You cannot defeat the Gliesians. This is the end of humanity, I'm afraid". Said the winged God, sitting down on the grass square footed. 
"Please Lord Shigori". I begged. "They can move through reflective surfaces. They can travel through light waves. We can't catch them. They have already slaughtered seven thousand of our people. Please Lord, mercy". 
"The disparity in our creations is huge. Gliesians are far more intelligent and powerful than you earthlings. Seven of them are capable of terminating your entire solar system. This is your personal war, I'm afraid. I cannot choose sides".