Mission Orion: The Travel through Time

Chapter 26 | The Beginning of the End

Schrotanic entered the room and sat at the other side of the room, keeping an eye on us. "Where's Montwik?" I asked him. "He's in another base. Called in yesterday to find you how you guys were. Weird, he cares more about you guys than anybody else." He replied. "When's he going to come over to here?" Reneesh asked him. "Tomorrow. But..." he stopped abruptly. "But what?" I asked. "Nothing." He replied. I had an uneasy feeling. Like something we did not like is going to happen soon. And something tells me that Schrotanic, who was the most ruthless of all after the kenjah, too saw it coming. He could not make eye contact with us and and he maintained his distance. It probably had something to do with us helping him after the explosion. It doesn't matter how ruthless you are, there still would be some emotions left deep inside your heart.

"The kenjah wants to have a talk with you." The guard, who had just entered the room, told Schrotanic. "What's it about?" He asked him. "The... you know what." He replied, winking. "What's that?" I barged into the conversation. "What's what?" The guard asked, turning to face me. "You winking and stuff. What's happening?" I asked him. "Nothing that would bother you." Schrotanic answered from the back. "Tell the kenjah I'm on my way." Schrotanic replied, smiling. The guard bowed down to Schrotanic and left the room. "Have a good time." Schrotanic said, as he too walked out of the room.

"I don't like the way he said that." Leo said. "It's high time we get out of this stupid place." Reneesh added. I walked around the room to discover that there was absolutely no other entry or exit except the one which was guarded by two guards with hi-tech weapons. "We've got to find a way to take down those guards." Reneesh whispered in my ear. "Dude, those doors are locked by biometrics. Try your luck please!" I replied in a fierce whisper. Reneesh looked at me as if it was my mistake. "What? When I said we will make it out of these place alive, I did not mean breaking out of a door which was locked by biometrics." I asked. "The two guards must be enrolled in the biometric, right?" Reneesh argued. "Dude, take a good look at them. You and I have worked a long time together and the both of us can see which soldier can be bent and which one cannot. Do either of them look like someone who can be coerced into doing something like letting us out?" I asked, glaring at him. He stood there, staring at the guard. "Okay, yes you are right. Sorry." Reneesh replied, walking over to the team.

It was approximately half an hour since Schrotanic had left us here. It was almost night outside. My mind wandered in memories. We had landed on this rock about three days. We were in lockup for two days and there was an attack on this base on the third day, that is today. And Montwik would be here tomorrow. I'm just hoping that nothing would happen today. I don't know why, but Montwik made me feel... safer? And Emanta said to trust him. I had a strong feeling that Montwik was on our side. Jake had said that most of the soldiers were against the kenjah and were obeying him just because they were afraid of the consequences. That meant, if there was a mutiny, if we could start one, we could have a majority on our side.

Just as I was pondering over this new possibility, the door on the other end of the room hissed open. Schrotanic entered the room with three guards on either side of him. "You." Schrotanic said, pointing at Leo. "Come with me." Leo looked at me and I, in turn I looked at Schrotanic. "Why?" I asked. "No questions asked. He is coming with me. That's it." Schrotanic replied. "No, he isn't. Its either all of us or none of us." I replied. Reneesh took Leo by hand and held it with a firm grip. "He isn't coming anywhere without us." He added. The rest of the crew stepped forward and got ready for a fight if we had to fight one. There was no way I was going to let them take Leo. They were going to use Leo for their experiment or whatever. I was sure of that. "He's coming and it's final." Schrotanic barked, gritting his teeth. "Call Montwik, I will speak with him." I told Schrotanic. "Montwik isn't here and also isn't involved in this matter. I am doing this under the direct orders of the kenjah. Montwik is not between the Kenjah and I. " He replied. "We will talk with the Kenjah then." I told him. "The kenjah has already left for our home planet. Your crewmate, Leo, is coming with us, and that's final " he replied, clearly angry. "He isn't coming and that's final." I said. "Guards, I want Leo to come with me." Schrotanic ordered.

The guards rushed forward and tried to grab Leo by hand. Reneesh stepped forward and smacked the guard on his lower jaw, so hard that he cracked the jaw. I almost forgot that Reneesh was once a professional boxer. Another guard rushed over to me and I kicked him right in his gut and he collapsed onto the ground. "Well, that wasn't so tough." I thought to myself just as I heard a click towards my right side. "Stand still, else I will not hesitate to shoot you." The guard said, pointing his gun at my head. I relaxed and suddenly brought by hand up and hit his right arm. He cried out in pain as the gun skidded towards Schrotanic. He picked up the gun and rushed towards Anna. "NO!"I yelled, as he held Anna by her arm and dragged her towards him. He kicked him and thrashed her legs and arms into him but Schrotanic was one strong man. "Stand down, or this beautiful young woman dies." He said, his booming voice echoing around the room. I stood still, my eyes on Anna. She looked straight back at me. The rest of the crew too stopped fighting back and Reneesh dropped the gun he grabbed from the guard he took down and held his hands in the air. "I want Leo. Give me him and we'll be on our way." He said, sternly.

Leo took one step forward. "Leo, what the hell are you doing?" Reneesh asked him. "Doing the right thing." He replied. "COME BACK, LEO!" Konrad yelled. Two guards stepped forward and grabbed Leo by the wrists and put handcuffs on them. "Take him to Room Number One." Schrotanic ordered. They dragged Leo down to the exit. "NOOO!" I yelled, again. Leo looked back, looked at me and smiled. He actually smiled. Smiled in the midst of all this. My eyes followed him as he was dragged across the room. "It is going to be alright boss." He said. His eyes were moist and it seemed that he was trying to convince himself it was going to be alright rather than telling us. He soon disappeared out of the door along with Schrotanic.

"What are they going to do to him?" Anna asked, sitting next to me, putting her arm around my shoulders. "I don't know, Anna. But it's nothing good, I guess." I replied. Souvik sat far away from us, putting his head in his palms. About half an hour went by and no one uttered a single word. All of us were silent. We didn't know what they were going to do with Leo, but I was sure it had something to do with the experiment they were talking about. Wherever Montwik was, I wanted him to be here, right now. I still didn't know why I trusted him. I didn't know why I trusted Emanta as a matter of fact, but their presence made me feel a bit safer and I had a feeling, deep down that they were trustable. It was half an hour since Leo was taken out of the room. Everyone felt down. Everyone realised that Leo was being used by these people for their experiment. "What are they going to do to him?" Reneesh muttered, talking to himself.

Suddenly, the door hissed open and all of us bolted up and waited for what was to come. My heart was beating fast as I looked towards the door, waiting for Leo to come in. Schrotanic walked in with an ear piece on his head. "Where is Leo?" I asked him. "Your friend is coming! He's on his way." Schrotanic replied, smiling. Finally Leo walked in. With a gun in his hand. He looked unhurt but there was something wrong with his eyes. They looked almost... crazy. "Leo, what's this?" I asked him. He looked at me straight in the eye. He was about to say something but his whole body shuddered.

"Activate the program." Schrotanic said into his earpiece, smiling.

"Leo, what's happening?" I asked him, fear seeping in.

"Who are you?" Leo asked, his face void of emotions.

***