There was a moment of intense silence, and Tala stood motionless, her brother next to her, waiting to see what was to happen next.
“I can’t… I won’t force you to go,” Howey said in the end. “I understand if you do not want to trust me. I do not know if I would trust myself. “But, you have only seconds to decide what to do, because…”
“No. I just wanted to know if I had options, that’s all,” Tala interrupted him, speaking as if none of it mattered anymore. “Let’s go. We have nothing here anyway.”
“Not quite. I got some spare clothes for both of you. Hope it will fit. I thought to put it in your bedroom, but… then things changed. It’s there in the bag.”
As they were leaving the apartment, Tala stared at Chitto.
“What?” he said, carrying two six-packs of soda cans and two big bags of chips in his arms. “He said I should take what I want.”
“Yes, that was all for you anyway,” Howey said.
To Tala's surprise, they did not go down with the elevator but up to the roof.
The wind and the darkness greeted them outside.
They heard the chopper before they saw it. And then it landed out of nowhere, the wind blowing Chitto a step back.
“You’re kidding me!” he screamed through the noise of rotating rotor blades.
“The chopper?” Tala asked as Howey told them to go inside.
“Yes. We fly. No time to waste!” he screamed back.
“But the main airport is only twenty minutes away! Why the rush?” Tala asked. The things were just not adding up to her.
“We’re not going to that airport,” Howey screamed back so they could hear him through the noise of the helicopter's engine.
A guy came out of the chopper’s shotgun seat and helped Chitto up to the back. Tala sat in the seat in front of him, going for a window seat, and Howley moved to sit next to her.
He shoved a big headset into her lap and turned the speaking channel to number five.
“We can talk now. A few minutes at least,” she heard his voice suddenly inside her ears.
Tala took a deep breath, watching the chopper lift off the building. She was not supposed to be there, flying over the city. She was supposed to be down there, waiting to see what college she was going to sign in, dreading till she found out how good she did on the test.
Everything that happened to her that day seemed so unreal. The more she thought about it, the more things started to spin inside her head, just like the rotating blades above her. She needed all of that to stop.
“Can you please explain to me what is going on, because I think I am losing my mind? Losing my mind. Yes. I have lost it already… None of this can be real.” She looked into the lights of the city and the life that was ticking there, oblivious to her and her newly discovered reality.
“I lost my mind. That’s what it is. I lost it, and I will never find it, will I? It is scattered. It shattered like a piece of glass when it drops ten stories down.”
“You are not crazy. You are not,” Howey said.
She looked at him. “I do not lie,” he added.
“Who are you… you who do not lie. Who the hell are you?”
“I told you… hard to understand.”
“Are you… one of them three-fingers?”
“No.”
“And your boss?”
“No. The only alien I know of... was the one who gave you the system… he was special. Yet, he was one of us.”
“You know he is gone, don't you? Left in a flash of light.”
“Yes. And I know you helped him. Not much else.”
“Please, explain, explain it all so someone as stupid as me can understand it.”
He did not speak. Obviously, he did not know how to do that.
“Like you would want to be explained to if you were in my place.
That made him take a deep breath and nod his head. “That’s why I did not want to mislead you. What I can tell you is… Basically, among the millions of different factions and organizations, there are two major ideas that stand opposite each other. On one side, some believe that… things are a complete crap, should be scratched off, and that things were better at some point before. They embrace ignorance and destruction. For them, they would not mind shutting out all the light so they could rein in darkness."
"I see."
"Yeah. They don’t mind barren planets, absent of any life. Some of them say, 'Clean it all up and restart it'. Destroy so you could rebuild it in some fashion they think is better and proper. They have a bunch of excuses for doing it. So, they don’t mind people killing each other and even stimulate hatred and intolerance. Somewhere those policies stick better than others. Many believe in some higher justice. But I do not know what that means. Heck, many of them don’t even mind destroying whole ecosystems, millions of different lifeforms. They do not care. Of course, in their ignorance and stubborn lack of empathy, they may not even consider themselves as being on the wrong side. Some think their way of doing things is the only way,"
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"Stupid bunch."
"Most of them believe they are doing the right thing. that by somehow reaching their objectives, they will gain power, might even be able to create order, and that all of that might actually be somehow beneficial. Of course, it’s just a mind trick, deceiving themselves into not understanding what kind of merciless, morbid creatures they had become.”
“And you… you’re not one of them?” Tala looked at him, her forehead frowning in anticipation. "I hope?"
Howey shook his head and smiled. “No. No, I am not.”
“So… the other side…?”
“Well, we don't do everything right, but... at the cornerstone of the group is the idea that life and light is good. And beautiful, even in the most simple forms. Life through the universe should be protected and propagated. That’s where our name comes from. Life Propagation Agency, or LiPo for short."
"So smart, have to say, did not see that one coming," Tala said sarcastically, suddenly fearing what she got herself in.
"Of course, we are just a small faction, but I think from what I've seen, we are trying to recruit more aggressively now. It's hard. But… in a nutshell, t That’s what we are about. And… now that you have decided to join us…”
“That was never explained to me.”
“I know. But… you know, the offer would have never been even made to you unless they consider you worthy. Do you know that?”
She shook her head.
“It’s per invitation only. And only a very few are selected. A very few.”
“I see. So… I should be honored to be a part of this.”
Howey nodded his head, “You might feel like that one day. One day when you see enough and learn enough. Until then, just keep your mind open. That’s all.”
“So… I need to do this mission, to do this job for you, and then I can become more… Powerful. It’s like a game.”
“No. It’s not a game. I promise you.”
“Then, what is it?”
“It’s… who you become.”
“But… they give me missions to achieve… and marks and levels.”
“Some are meant for your personal growth. Some… for other reasons. I do not know all of it. I would lie if I told you I know it all.”
“But... here... who is above you? Who do you report to?”
“Well, I had a boss… I was one of his bodyguards at first. Then… I think it’s safe for me to tell you… I was shot trying to save this… poor kid from an abusive cop. I was going to die.”
“And?”
“My boss saved my life. He… gave me something that helped me regain my health. And then, he explained a bit about the system and asked me if I wanted to join. Said if I wanted to join, there was a person in Japan who would see me, talk to me, make a judgment and allow me to join if he saw me worthy.”
"I see."
“That was…like five years ago.”
“The alien…my alien?”
“Yes. Mr. Trono.”
“Okay, well, at least now I know his name. And what happened when you came to see him?”
“Well, he spent a few days with me, and then he offered me to get Integrated. But could not guarantee me anything more than that. The final judgment on whether I was invited to join LiPo once I was integrated was made by someone else. I think once we integrate, they can look at us in more detail, even the smallest of our memories and even thoughts. And then... if they find us worthy, they offer us a job.”
"And if they do not offer us a job?'
"There are other firms who do. I told you that already."
"And if nobody does?"
"I don't fucken know. Turn on your imagination, I don't know."
Tala realized she was being a bit silly, but still, she wanted to know more, wanted to know everything. “So, how did you… get to me?”
“Mr. Trono sent me a message to help you. I was here, so I came.”
“And your boss? Is he also an alien?”
“I don’t think so. I think he might be a human like us, converted years ago. But… in a way, he is not really my boss. I mean, you will meet him, and then you will know what I’m talking about. I... don't work for him. It does not function like that.”
“Why? Why does he want to meet me?”
“I think… most likely, he wants to train you. But I’m not sure.”
“So, if I go there and do not like him… what then?”
“Nothing. He is not your boss. You do not have a boss. I call him ‘the boss’ because that is how it all started with me, but he can’t order me shit. I decide what I do. Do you understand? My life, my responsibility.”
“I like that.”
“Yeah, I thought you would”
“As long as it is like that, I don’t think I may have a problem with it. Except…”
“Except what?”
“You say, he is not your boss.”
“And?”
“You killed for him?”
“Not for him. I can’t talk about my mission, you should know that by now. But… He’s more like an agent like us, just with the higher class. You understand? He gets missions just like us. Who knows, maybe his mission is to train you.”
“I see. Now… I understand it even less.”
They flew over the mountain and soon there was just darkness underneath them. Tala felt her brother tapping her on the shoulder, pointing to the headset he placed over his ears. She reached for its controls and moved the bar to channel 5.
“Can you hear me now?” she asked him.
“Yes. Now I can. Hey, I need to go to the bathroom.”
“Well, you keep on drinking more soda, and I don’t think you’ll make it to the bathroom. How much did you drink?” she asked him, seeing him suddenly pushing the empty cans toward the back so she could not see him. "Chitto, are you like five years old?"
Howey smiled and interrupted her, “We should be there in five minutes, so no need to worry.”
“Okay, I guess I can hold it that long. And, sis, are you sure we can trust these people? Howey, no offense, but-”
“I don’t think we have much choice now. Maybe we can just enjoy the ride. It beats being at our parents’ place, doesn’t it?”
Chitto nodded his head. “And what are we going to do in the US?”
“That we still have to see.”
“I mean… will I have to go to school?”
“Of course you will. What else are you going to do?”
“I don’t know. Maybe I can become an alien too?”
“Chitto, you know I’m not an alien.”
“I know but… I keep looking into your eyes, thinking that they will turn like a reptilian…”
“Chitto…”
“You have no idea how fast I am. I’m like the fastest in our school. And… you beat me.”
“Chitto…”
“How?”
“Maybe you just had a bad day.”
“I always have a bad day. But I’m still fast. Faster than you. For the last five years, you know.”
“Well, just calm down, and let me speak to Howey for a second more, would you?”
Chitto opened a bag of chips and considered being silent. “You want some?”
“No. You just go for it.”
When they landed five minutes later, it was a big private jet with twin engines that waited for them there, with the door already opened and the stairs pulled up.
“Wow, are we going in this?” Chitto asked.
“You two are. I have a few things to finish here and then I will join you in the States,” Howey said and extended his hand. “We’ll talk some more when I come.”
Just before she entered the plane Tala turned around to see Howe looking at her pensively, making her think and doubt if she was ever to see him again.
“Oh, what the fuck did we get ourselves into this time?” she muttered to herself, seeing her brother eagerly running inside the cabin to pick a seat, then turning around and running back to a closed door on the left, looking for a bathroom.