StarGaze

Dying Wish/Curse

"There, don't you go dying on me now." The old man comforted Humpstein.

By this time, the captain's face was already drained of blood and one look at him would be enough to confirm that his death was moments away. His hands shook weakly from the cold when the man lifted them and placed them in his own.

Humpstein looked at Thomas and whispered his name. Thomas didn't show many feelings on this occasion. After all, this wasn't the first death he was witnessing. And he didn't even know the man. But he sat down beside him when he called for him.

Suddenly, the dying man showed a feat of strength and grabbed Thomas's hand. He pulled him close as he whispered the words in his ears.

"I see you, Thomas. Take my place and lead the earth from what is to come. Samatraa..." Humpstein said in his dying breath.

As the man exhaled, his grip became loose and everyone around him lowered their eyes. Thomas was now hit right in the heart. He could overlook anything and be selfish at all times. But he could never, ever disregard a dying man's last wish.

As he stared into the face of conflict, he collapsed on the ground with his hands around his head. The director, who was both disappointed and sad till now, was suddenly glowing with newfound happiness. But he made sure that he looked composed and devastated for an old friend's loss.

"We need to go, brother. As hard as it may be, we have to accept it. It may be a dying wish for him, but is a curse for us. And who are we kidding, we were not built for this. There is no peace for people like us. You are at least alive and trying to retire, I am dead but still in the middle of this mess." Raghav said, trying to console Thomas.

"Do you ever shut the f**k up?! Just let me think." Thomas shouted inside his mind, confused about how to deal with this shitty situation.

"He believed in yo..." The director said, keeping a safe distance from Thomas in case he launched any surprise punches.

"I'll go," Thomas said, cutting in between.

"Good, I am glad to hear that." The old man said, controlling his emotions.

"But I have conditions," Thomas said almost instantly.

"I am all ears." The man said and bowed.

"I will take over his position. I understand that he is a captain. I will recruit and train soldiers as my way of honoring his wish. I will map a game plan and I will oversee missions. But I will NOT kill or take part in any direct violence. Understand?" Thomas said.

The director agreed reluctantly. The sole reason he came here was to bring back Thomas due to his tactical superiorities and field knowledge. But it was acceptable if he got only half of the deal.

"So when do we teleport?" Thomas asked.

"The portal is scheduled to open in about two hours. Pack your things, you have no idea what we are dealing with here." the man said and got up, forgetting that it was his friend laying dead on the floor.

"Ah, the same s**t every time. Rebels, anarchists, terrorists, gangs. I am sick of this s**t. Which one is it now?" Thomas asked, disgusted.

"You'll see. Pack your bags for now." The man said with stone cold eyes.

"Take this, son. You may forget god, but with this, god will always know where you are and will protect you.

Remember, there is a path set for every one of us. This may be the path you have to walk to achieve redemption from your sins." The old monk said to Thomas as Thomas was taking one last look at his room.

"There is no redemption or sin, monk. There are only illusions crafted out of thin air and our insecurities to manipulate us into working for other men's cause. We kill, loot, and ravage all our lives without even knowing the true intentions of our masters. And when our bodies rust from all that idiocracy, we devote ourselves to another illusion called god and religion hoping to find 'redemption'." Thomas said without turning back.

"If you believe that, then why work so hard to achieve Nirvana?" The monk asked, taken aback by Thomas's defiance.

"For the same reason as anyone else does it. A man once told me, hope can be lethal if left unchecked. And I too am weaving an illusion around me, hoping for it to come true. Because without it, I wouldn't know what else to believe in.

The director was waiting for Thomas at the main gate of the monastery, and both of them left into the nothingness of the snowy mountains towards their ticket out of here.

"Yes, this is it. Stand right there." The director told Thomas.

"So...who are we fighting against now? Another faction seeking balance?" Thomas asked casually.

"Ehh...not really. It is a little more serious this time." The old man replied in the same tone.

"Who is it?" Thomas asked more seriously.

"Mars." The man replied coolly.

"Mars?! As in the planet Mars?" Thomas asked, looking at the old man with shock.

"Affirmative." The man said without looking at Thomas.

Thousands of questions popped up in Thomas's mind, but he knew this was not the time. So he shut up, cooking up all kinds of fantasies.

Suddenly, they heard a rumble. They looked up at the sky and saw a tear in the fabric of existence. The hole became larger and a blue light flooded their bodies, sucking them into the void.

The next thing they knew was that they were lying on the ground in a steel chamber. Thomas got up quickly, while the director got up groaning in pain.

"You did know that the shifter amplifies pain?!" The man asked.

"Yeah, that was my intention all along," Thomas said and walked out with a plain face.

As Thomas was led to his new chambers as an officer, the director entered the president's office in the basement.

"Is it done?" The man asked with his back towards the director.

"Yes sir, the clone worked perfectly. Everything is going according to plan." The man said, turning around.

A smile spread on Humpstein's face as he saw the director once again. 

"The president would be happy to know that we are making progress, my friend," Humpstein spoke again, lifting some documents.

"I have to say, you have a really tight body. It was almost a pain in the ass to stab that clone with the wood. Also, It is imperative that Thomas doesn't find out that you are alive, or we will be in deep trouble." The old man said with a concerned voice.

"Don't worry, I am getting my face altered this evening. Just show him around and get him to work as soon as possible." The captain said and walked out of the room.

The old man walked out with caution, fearing every turn.