Prelude
Year: X987
Talat rushed to the window, as he had every morning for the last three months, to watch Dr. Mezan walk the two and a quarter blocks from the clinic where he slept to the research lab.
Talat wanted desperately to know what was happening behind the closed doors of the lab. His eight-year-old mind ran wild with theories.
“Talat, get ready for school, and come grab your lunch,” his mother beckoned from the kitchen.
Talat had been ready for hours waiting for school, more specifically the school library, to open. His tiny body trembled from excitement at the thought of finally getting his hands on a copy of Essence Users and the Rise of the Technicians. He had waited weeks for the book to arrive from the central library in Lennon, and today was the day. The librarian told him the book was well above his reading level and at first, refused to order it, but Talat’s innocent face and his yearning to learn won her over.
“Coming, mama”, he yelled back as he rushed downstairs to collect his lunchbox from the kitchen.
I sure hope it’s not another yucky salad with the weird vegetables the neighbors gave us. He felt a little jolt at the thought of eating that disgusting food again. He didn’t care that his mom thought it was healthy, it was gross.
“Don’t worry, I know what you’re thinking, it’s not that yucky salad, and be quiet, Talat. You’re being too loud, you’ll wake, Nadine.”
“Sorry, mama,” he said with a smile at the thought that his mama could uncannily read his every thought.
“Uh-uh-uh, aren’t you forgetting something”, Talat’s mom said as she grabbed his bookbag as he tried to rush away, stopping him dead in his tracks.
“Mama, do I have to?”
“Yes, you do, now come here.”
She grabbed his chubby face in her palms and kissed his forehead.
“Now, my turn,” she said turning her cheek to him.
He planted a big sloppy kiss on her cheek that made an audible ‘pop’. He ran off sticking out his tongue and laughing
Such a little rascal, she thought to herself as she touched her now wet cheek.
Talat was by the door of the library waiting patiently for Mrs. Lent. Mrs. Lent, the librarian, walked to the library door and upon seeing Talat had to stifle a smile from creeping across her face.
That boy, she thought, is insatiable, but that wonder in his eyes is absolutely lovely.
“Good morning, Mrs. Lent”
“Good morning, Talat. Are you waiting for me?” She asked coyly, knowing full well the boy had been counting down the days until his book arrived.
Talat’s eager face turned solemn, then sour. Mrs. Lent saw the expression and fearing Talat would cry, quickly said, “No, no, no, don’t be upset dear, I was only teasing. Your book arrived yesterday evening.”
Talat inhaled deeply and his expression inflated into a hungry smile.
They walked into the library, Talat forgetting his manners, pushed past Mrs. Lent before turning around and apologizing.
Mrs. Lent handed the book to Talat. He stared at the book in awe. He looked up to Mrs. Lent said thank you half a dozen times as he rushed out the door, nearly tripping in his excitement. Talat spent the rest of the day half focused on his schoolwork, thinking about the moment when he could get home and crawled under his covers and begin reading.
When the bell rang, Talat was out the door. He ran home as quickly as his small chubby legs would allow. His focus was singular, and his blinders were up. He paid no heed to the waving hands of his peers and adults alike who greeted him.
He could see his house, a hundred feet away, fifty feet away, twenty feet away when he came to a sudden stop. Talat looked up to see the bespectacled face of Dr. Mezan. Dr. Mezan met Talat’s gaze and gave a smile. Talat could see his tired face. The dark circles under the doctor’s eyes made more apparent by the pale complexion of his skin. Talat studied the doctor’s skin, intrigued by the hue. He had never seen a colorless before. The doctor’s face was covered in untimely wrinkles and crow’s feet appeared at the corners of his eyes when he gave Talat a friendly smile.
“Well, hello young man,” he stopped to think, “forgive me, but I have not taken the time to get to know the town’s folk. What is your name?”
“Talat, sir”, he said with the confidence of a much older and more accomplished person.
“Sir? Call me Dr. Mezan.”
“Yes, sir, I know who you are. I see you every…” he stopped, feeling his face flush red from embarrassment.
“Ah, I see, so you are the young man who watches me every day from that window”, he said pointing to Talat’s secret sleuthing spot on the second floor.
“I didn’t mean to spy,” he said looking down, finally breaking eye contact.
“It’s quite alright, young man. Don’t be embarrassed. An inquisitive mind is one that should be nurtured.”
“I just really want to know what’s going on in your lab, sir,” Talat blurted out as he often did in excitement.
Dr. Mezan let out an audible chuckle at the spontaneity of Talat’s words.
“For now, young man, it is a secret, but how about this? I will share it with you and the rest of the town when my team is done working on the project.”
Talat’s eyes widened as a smile revealed his two-missing baby teeth. The sight made Dr. Mezan chuckle, and soon unable to control his amusement, the doctor broke out into full-blown laughter.
“It’s rude to laugh at someone’s misfortunes, sir”, Talat said with a scowl.
“Oh, you misunderstand me, young man. I was simply caught off guard. I promise I am not laughing at your ‘misfortune’” he said pointing to his own teeth, “and my, my what an impressive vocabulary for such a young man. I take it you read a lot,” he said pointing to the book clutched to Talat’s breast, as he composed himself so as not to offend Talat any further.
“Yes, sir, I do”,
“Wonderful. Well, young man, I best be going, several more hours of work,” he said stretching his arms above his head, “are ahead of me and my team. It has been a pleasure speaking with you. I will be seeing you around”, he said extending his hand.
“Yes, sir,” Talat said shaking the doctor’s coarse hands.
“I told you, young man, call me Dr. Mezan”
“When you stop calling me ‘young man’”, Talat quipped.
“Okay, Talat”, the doctor said with a smile and an acknowledging head nod.
Talat watched the doctor for a minute as he walked lazily to the lab, before remembering the book in his hands. He started to read the opening passage as he made his way into his home, Beware the wolf, it is often cloaked in the hide of the sheep
***
By dinner time, Talat had already read a quarter of the book. His mother had to almost drag him out of his bed to help with his baby sister while she set the table.
“Mama, when is papa getting home?”
“Any minute now, dear. Go get Nadine’s high chair so we can have dinner as soon as your father comes home.”
Talat did as he was told and even got Nadine settled into her chair.
“I wanna tell papa about my new book,” he said excitedly.
“Is that so? I am sure he can’t wait to hear all about it. He loves it when you share your stories. What’s this one about?” She asked nonchalantly.
“The Xavodian Empire, Essence, and the Technicians,” he replied with glee.
Talat saw a dish drop from his mother’s hand and smash into dozens of tiny pieces.
“No!” She said through clenched teeth. “You are not to bring that up ever around your father. Do you underst—”
“Why?” Talat interrupted with a glare.
“Talat O’Rin, I said no! Now go wash up, and take that book back tomorrow, turn it in, and never speak of such things, ever again.”
Talat sat through dinner, barely uttering a word as his father asked him about his day, what he learned in school. Talat was not particularly hungry, now, but he shoveled the food into his mouth to stop himself from crying. When his plate was empty, he quickly got up, put his dish into the sink, whipped the tears he had been holding back, and headed to his room.
***
Talat awoke several hours later to heavy whispers coming from his parent’s room. He quietly got out of bed, avoiding the three creaky floorboards and walked into the hallway following the sliver of light coming from his parent’s door. It was just ajar enough for him to spy through.
“What were you thinking, Lo? Letting him read about those monsters,” Talat heard his father say.
“I absolutely did not approve of him getting that book, Leon”, Lo said in a furious whisper.
“I am sorry, sweetheart. It’s just that I don’t want Talat to buy into that propaganda nonsense like some in the village have clearly begun to.”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.
“I know, and I have already told him to return the book tomorrow.” She said hugging her visibly shaken husband.
“I hope the rebels crush every last one of those bastards, and I hope whatever research the doctor is doing here helps them do it.” He said burying his face into the curve of her neck and pulling her in tight.
Talat watched his mother stroke his father’s hair. He turned around and went back to his room. His stomach felt uneasy from the guilt that he had made his mother and, especially, his father so upset.
Talat lifted the open book, closed it, and put it into his bookbag, resolved never to read it again.
Talat drifted off to an uncomfortable sleep.
***
Several days passed, and life began to go back to normal. Talat was back at his window every morning watching Dr. Mezan walk his two and a quarter blocks, wishing he could approach the man to talk to him about his research.
And then about two weeks after their initial meeting, it happened. Talat was by the window watching when the doctor stopped walking, turned towards Talat, and waved. Talat was caught off guard and waved back sheepishly. The doctor then beckoned him over with a flick of his wrist. Talat took the opportunity and quietly went outside.
“No school today, Talat?” the doctor said as he watched Talat approach.
“Saturday, Dr. Mezan, plus it’s the beginning of the festival week. No school for a whole week,” Talat said in disappointment.
“Oh, yes, of course. I am losing track of my days, very busy, too busy,” he said, appearing to hold back a yawn, “but why the long face? Not a fan of the festivities?”
“Not a fan of the library being closed,” Talat said as he stared, solemnly, off into the direction of the school’s library.
Dr. Mezan losing his battle to stifle his yawn, finally let it go in an audible bellow.
“You need a break, Dr. Mezan.”
“That I do.” He said, accompanied by yet another yawn.
“My father says he hopes your research will help to crush ‘those bastards’” Talat said unprompted.
“Language, Talat. And who are you referring to when you say those, uh, people?”
“The Technicians.”
“Oh my, well I guess it’s no secret in the village who I work for, but please don’t speak with such candor, that is, so openly. There are some who support Xavodia here, and it could become dangerous for people like me. Do you understand?”
“Yes, sir, and I know what candor means.”
The doctor gave a playful glare.
“Oh sorry, I meant, yes, Dr. Mezan.”
“Alright now, off you go, back home.”
Talat turned to go when Dr. Mezan’s hand suddenly grabbed his shoulder. He could feel the doctor’s coarse hand, even through his thick winter coat.
He works too hard, Talat thought at the feeling of the rough hand grazing his neckline.
“One more thing, the reason I asked you to come out, young Talat. I wanted to let you know, my team and I will be unveiling our research to the town the day after the festival to the Goddess Mahi is finished.”
“The day after we submerge the goddess?”
“Correct. What a unique and wonderful culture you have here in Lennon. I feel as if I learn something new every day in this beautiful country,” he said wistfully, “but please take care as not to ruin the surprise. I wanted to tell you first because you have shown such interest in our work from afar, and like I told you before, ‘curiosity should be nurtured’ and even rewarded,” the doctor said with a smile and a wink.
“I won’t say a word, Dr. Mezan. Oh, and if you are interested and have the time, the whole town will be out tonight for the first night of the festival. We are gonna be decorating the Goddess Mahi’s statue in flowers today.”
“Why do your people submerge the statue, Talat? Do you know?”
“My mama said submerging the goddess and bringing her back up symbolizes the cleansing of our sins and rebirth of the soul.”
“Ah, is that so. How fitting. Ok, now run along. I will see you tonight to decorate the Goddess.”
“You’ll be there? Awesome. I’ll introduce you to my parents and my baby sister. I will see you then, bye.” He said rocking back and forth in excitement
“And Dr. Mezan, don’t forget to bring flowers.”
***
That night Talat and his family joined the village in decorating the goddess. The Goddess Mahi glowed beautifully in the golden hour sunlight, radiating her blessings on all who looked up her. Dr. Mezan joined the festivities soon after Talat and his family had arrived in the village square. Talat waved feverously when he saw the doctor approaching, dragging both his parents by the hand towards the weary-looking man, still in his lab coat.
“Dr. Mezan, this is mom and dad,” Talat said.
“But you can call us, Lo and Leon,” Talat’s father said with a laugh as he shook the doctor’s rough hand.
“You have a rather clever boy here, Mr. and Mrs. O’Rin.” Dr. Mezan said as he rubbed his coarse hands over Talat’s head.
“Please, call us Leon and Lo. No need to be formal here. Our son has taken quite a liking to you, Dr. Mezan.” Talat’s father said.
The doctor nodded his head and smiled, before turning his gaze onto Nadine, “and who do we have here?”
“Say hello, Nadine” Lo encouraged. Nadine simply scowled at the doctor with malice and nuzzled into Lo’s shoulder.
“Ladies and gentlemen, of Teo Village, please gather round,” the priest began, “We request the children come forward first and place the first flowers.”
Talat placed a flower in Nadine’s hands and taking her from his mother’s arms. He walked to the Goddess Mahi and placed a hand full of flowers by the goddess' feet. Nadine watched her brother inquisitively and threw her flower at the goddess and laughed with glee as she clapped her hands together.
When Nadine had fallen asleep, Leon and Lo bid Dr. Mezan a farewell and returned home. Talat fell asleep immediately, looking forward to the last day of the festival when the doctor would unveil his work.
***
On the last day of the festival, Talat was predictably by the window scanning all corners of the clinic. Hours passed and no sign of the doctor. Talat began to worry. He was full of resolve and so he hurried to the sitting room, where his mother and sister sat. He gave them both a kiss and walked towards the front door. As he was leaving his mother called out to him to meet them in the square for the submerging ceremony.
Talat walked to the clinic and after a few minutes of looking around the building decided, hesitantly, to knock on the door. No answer. He began to walk towards the village square when he noticed the previously locked door to the lab swinging slightly in the wind. He could see a few figures moving in the shadowed room beyond the entrance of the swinging door.
Talat’s curiosity always got the better of him, and today was no exception. He looked around, and finding a completely deserted street, he made his move. He walked quickly towards the lab, knowing full well that nearly everyone in town would be either heading towards or already at the town square for the festival.
The blue building began to grow and loom over Talat as he got closer. The building had laid dormant and abandoned ever since a fire had ravaged it years ago. Dr. Mezan’s team had done an excellent job renovating the space, removing the charred wooden husk and replacing it with modern metal, and to Talat, it even looked cozy now.
Talat placed his hand on the cold metal door and peered in. The shadows that he saw but a minute ago were no longer in sight. He knew he should not be there, but he could not pull himself away. His mind was racing with thoughts of what might lay beyond the heavy door.
Maybe they are making a weapon that can kill a Technician. He pushed the absurd thought out of his mind for two reasons; one, nothing but a Technician could kill a Technician and two if such a weapon was possible why would they ever reveal something that momentous to a small village of mostly farmers and laborers.
Whatever it was, it was something big and significant to the rebels, why else would it be kept under lock and key, Talat thought. With that, his mind was made up, and he got on his hands and knees and crawled in.
A few feet in and his nose was hit with the pungent yet sweet smell of gasoline. Talat looked around and noticed a room full of shower stations, each fitted with a rope with a triangular handle. Beyond that, in a room illuminated by red lights, he saw strange yellow suits made of what looked like rubber hanging in glass displays. For a moment Talat though those suits might be Technician armor, before recalling that Technium was a metallic material and definitely not rubber. With his mind working overtime, Talat pushed forward, taking care to stay in the shadows of the sparsely lit room. He made it into the fourth room.
Tak-tak-tak. The sounds of footsteps. Talat froze and then ever so carefully made his way under a lab table a few feet away. Talat heard the cadenced steps of someone moving back and forth when suddenly the rhythm was broken. The footsteps got louder. This person was moving towards him. A pair of thick, knee-high, black rubber shoes came into view. Talat saw the feet rotate a full 360 degree. Talat could tell this person was scanning the room, looking for something that was out of place, or should not be there.
Talat watched the rubber soles move towards the entrance. With a resounding and echoing thud that must have been audible throughout the entire building, the metal door was slammed shut. Talat heard muffled, but distinctively angry, muttering as if the person was trying to talk underwater. Then Talat looked up. This man was covered in the strange yellow suit with a mask over his face. The rubber suit covered the entire body and ran under the knee-high rubber boots. Talat quieted the scream that was threatening to leave his lungs at the sight of this ghastly figure. He sunk further under the table.
The figure stood a few more minutes. Talat saw the rubber boots rotating again, and as quickly as it had come, it went. Talat felt warm tears flow over his hand still covering his mouth. He knew he had to compose himself and make his way back to the door, praying to the Goddess Mahi that it was still unlocked. He wanted to go home and crawl into his mother’s arms.
Talat felt his legs give out from under him as he was pulled backward with ease, as easily as he had pulled a doll from Nadine’s hands. He was in the open now, out from under the safety of the lab table.
“God damn it, it’s a kid,” said a panicked hoarse voice belonging to a man.
Talat looked up and was met with two equally frightening yellow figures towering over him.
Talat heard the other yellow figure, a woman, say, “how did he get inside, and for fucks sake he’s completely exposed.”
“The door was open, I locked it up, but oh shit, this is bad, really fucking bad,” the man said.
“Put him in there,” she said pointing to an open utility closet.
Talat felt the latex covered gloves of the man grab him. Talat began to cry and scream, and the man hesitated for a moment before picking him up and placing him in the closet.
Talat banged on the door, wiggled the handle, screamed for help, but he could not hear anything outside, dead silence. He curled up and cried himself into asleep.
“Talat?” A familiar voice said. “What are you doing here, boy?”
Talat’s bloodshot eyes sprang open. Dr. Mezan was there, though in a yellow suit like the others. Talat sprang to his feet and hugged Dr. Mezan. Sobbing uncontrollably and simply said, “I want to go home, Dr. Mezan.”
Dr. Mezan stroked Talat’s head, even now through the rubber gloves Talat could feel the doctor’s coarse fingertips.
“There, there, don’t worry. I’ll make sure you are with your family soon, son.”
Dr. Mezan comforted the young boy until he was calm and composed.
“Can we go, doctor?”
“We can, but first I need to make sure no one else came with you. You see, Talat, this building has been locked up for a reason. We are working on something highly important and highly dangerous. We have these suits to protect us. We need to make sure you and anyone else that came with you is decontaminated before leaving.”
“I came here by myself, no one else is here and no one even knows I came here. Dr. Mezan, please, I am sorry, please can we go now, please,” Talat was crying again as an eerie fear gripped him again.
“Yes, of course, I just want to make sure you were not exposed to our, uh agent, first. How long have you been here?”
“I don’t know, please let’s go,” Talat said grabbing Dr. Mezan’s yellow tarp suit.
“Talat, please, you must answer first. I have to make sure you have not been exposed to the compound. If you go home now, and if it happens that you were exposed, you would put everyone you love in danger. So, please, answer as best as you can.”
“About an…an…an hour,” Talat said through his tears.
“And you feel fine,” the doctor pressed, kindly, “no nausea, vomiting, boils, or bleeding? Nothing strange like that?”
“No…no…sir…Dr. Mezan.”
“Fucking Technician’s blood,” the doctor said, in amazement, turning to the other two yellow-clad figures.
“Wh-wha-what?” Was all Talat’s exhausted body could muster.
“You, my boy, have the blood of the Technicians,” he said assuredly, “what else could explain him surviving in here, completely unprotected?” He said turning to the two figures but speaking to no one in particular. “I wonder what kind of Technician you are? Well, I suppose it doesn’t matter now. We’ll never know,” he said with a contemptuous sigh.
He rested his hands on Talat’s shoulders, stroked his hair; then with a quick lunge, Dr. Mezan was straddling Talat, his palms crushing into the boy’s throat. Talat felt the crushing weight on his body, the doctor’s fingers interlocking on the back of his small neck. Talat fought back, trying desperately to rip the mask off the doctor, but his frail and tiny body was not up to the task.
He thought of his poor mother with Nadine and his father, waiting for him in the square. He prayed, but salvation was deaf.
Talat’s brain was screaming for air, but all he could feel was the coarseness; those terribly rough hands, each little coarse nub dug into his neck like spikes.
“We do it tonight, while everyone is in that square. They want a cleansing, we’ll give it to them.” These words, Dr. Mezan’s words, were the last Talat would hear.
Talat could not hear the dry hum of the lab any longer, all he heard was popping as blood trickled out of his ears.
As Talat’s short but joyous life broke, like one string at a time on a strained rope, all he could do was relay a desperate message that no one would hear.
Mama, run, mama, please, yo-you-hav-have to run. R-R-RU-RUN. He thought between consciousness and unconsciousness.
A jolt, a snap, and no more pain, then, just darkness.