Hunters: A Trilogy (13 page)

Seeing the confusion, the old man said, ‘Size is a relative thing, Kenneth! As an atom is miniscule to your understanding, then so are you miniscule to other...’ George paused as if in search of the missing word, almost as though he was trying to find some easy way of breaking the bad news. In the end, he simply said, ‘Other places.’

Ken blinked.

George said, softly: ‘Parallels are all around you – what happens here, in this one, will also be happening somewhere else, but not in exactly the same way – things will be different there, even if only a little so. Sometimes massively so, a total difference but still a parallel nonetheless– all things are linked.’

Ken looked at him and shook his head – this time the gesture was one of
total
confusion. With that terrible expression smeared across his face, he then proceeded to ask the question, the one that he’d been meaning to ask since all of this had started.

‘Where the hell are we? What are we actually doing here and...and what the fuck is that spearhead thing all about?’ He felt physically sick, almost as though he was about to faint, nothing was making any sense whatsoever.

The old man looked at him sincerely, giving a small nod of sympathetic understanding. ‘The spearhead is merely our symbol – it identifies us as being at the forefront of everything!’ he said, whilst looking over at Mike and smiling. Turning back to Ken, George continued with his answer, saying: ‘There is more than just one place in which you can exist, Kenneth.’

More silence.

George said, ‘There are many different spaces and places in the cosmos, there are many different times, dimensions and parallels. Think of them as the places just next door...for instance: those men that attacked you, the robe-wearers…’ he paused again. Then he said, ‘They were not from that time, the place you were in; they were from another place, a different time, a separate parallel – how do you think they survived the storm?’

Ken just blinked; the feeling of his reflex eye movement gave him the sensation of window shutters being rolled down, doors slamming. His thoughts seemed to say: ‘Thank you and good night – go away, there’s no-one home…’

George smiled, and said, ‘Oh, and there are many, many places in between time, too. As your journey with us progresses, then you will learn more of these things, but for now just accept the fact that you are not alone, and try to understand that time is not a thing that stands alone, either. There are lots of interesting things for you to learn whilst you are here, Kenneth – but they will come later.’

Ken stared at him without saying a word. Seeing George raise his eyebrows questioningly, he simply nodded and sat there listening to the noise of the roaring silence within his own head.

George smiled once more, saying: ‘With regards as to where you are...well, let us just say that you are with us, safe and sound in a place where no-one else can see you or harm you, in a place that lies in between places.’

With total disregard for the expression of absolute bewilderment upon Ken’s face, and seeming to warm to his own theme, George continued. ‘When you looked at an ant…did it ever cross your mind about how small its world looks to you? And yet to the ant, well…it’s a huge place with all its own functions, spaces and meanings. But how often do you ever contemplate the relativity of its size?’

With eyes shining intensely, he ushered them further into his story. ‘Have you ever considered what a dust mite may seem like through the eyes of an ant? What a speck of dust looks like to the mite, how miniscule an atom is in comparison to the speck of dust?’

Silence greeted his question. George didn’t care.

With a huge smile, the old man said, ‘As I have said, size is a relevant thing!’

Not even waiting for Ken to digest that piece of mind-boggling information, he went on to explain that how he came from a race of people who travelled the heavens and bought life to any barren planets they came across.

‘We seed planets,’ he said. ‘We bring life to the universe and our work is the reason why you as a human are here on the little planet known as Earth – we gave life to you a long, long time ago.’

Seemingly unable to notice the abject silence which met his remarks yet one more time, George continued to explain how their endeavours had started new life on many different planets, that there were now thousands of inhabited worlds throughout the universe, some far more advanced than even he and his own kind were, whilst others were nothing more than amoeba-covered rocks, their early cells germinating within the nutrient-rich soup of their journey into life.

That simply explained piece of information rocked Ken to the core, he was incredulous. ‘You mean that…that there are other beings here?’ he said, glancing over his shoulder as if expecting to see one of them standing right behind the couch.

Seeing nothing, he spun back to face the old man, saying: ‘There are other life forms in the solar system, I mean, you know...aliens, UFOs, flying saucers and...and little green men! They’re all for real?’ He glanced at Mike with a dumbfounded expression upon his face.

George took control again. ‘Well...yes, after a fashion there is, but there are no little green men and we are all aliens, I suppose. Within your solar system there are only two populated planets. One of them is Earth, as you know it, and one is an undiscovered planet on the edge of your system. It is populated by early life forms, bacteria, plankton and microbes are all busy growing within her watery depths as we speak…’

Ken was stunned. ‘Another planet – how, where...where is it?’ he asked. ‘I thought that we were the only possible place where life existed.’

George smiled, raised his head and looked directly at them. ‘The problem that you, as a race, have,’ he said, ‘is that you assume life can only exist in the way
you
perceive life to be, there are many forms of life in the universe that you would casually dismiss as being non-existent. But that is only because you do not know how to look, not yet.’

His voice took on a more serious tone. ‘As for the seeding of planets...all life forms are started this way; all life within our region comes from the same seeds, the same strain. Once it has been decided that a planet is suitable, the basic seeds are sown and then by law it is generally forbidden to interfere any further. We are allowed only to observe and watch in the wonders of nature as a new world becomes inhabited by its growing crop.’ His smile was curtailed by the flashing reply that Ken was unable to prevent himself from uttering.

‘But you interfered with us, though, didn’t you, George? And you interfered with us big time!’ His eyes burned with anger as he spat the question out. No, not a question, it was a statement. Ken felt the anger well up inside again, he looked at George and felt his own cheeks flush with the heat of his emotions.

George didn’t falter. ‘I will explain about that in a moment, if I may…’ he said. ‘But first let me tell you the rest of the tale, the tale of why we are here today and of how much trouble we are in!’

Ken shook his head in angry despair. George was calmly measured in his response – he smiled at the two big men who sat before him, sitting like a pair of schoolboys attending their first sex education lesson. Then, continuing in his soft, mesmerising tone with his voice never faltering, he simply talked to them and they sat and listened. Frozen by his revelations, they were as still as statues.

He said, ‘The race of humans, as your planet calls them, has been in existence for millennia. They are spread far and wide throughout the heavens, amongst the stars and unseen horizons, they are scattered across galaxies that stretch millions of light years into the distance – no-one is quite sure as to whom the oldest ancestors may be, some races have been in existence far beyond any normal concept of memory.’

Shrugging, he continued. ‘Throughout the passage of time we have populated, sown, if you like, many other planets. As far as we are aware there are no other beings or races other than the human race and their descendants. Certainly, some may appear slightly different, but that is due to genetic strains and the environmental effects of the various worlds upon which they have grown – much like the different ethnic races on your own planet.’ He paused to stare at them, grey hair shimmering under the overhead lights.

Then he quipped: ‘Although, to my certain knowledge, it must be said, none of them are reported as to ever having been green…’ George looked at Ken and smiled like a madman. Ken didn’t return the favour.

George said, ‘Some sowings were highly successful and thrived immediately, so much so that in time, they themselves, once fully developed, were deemed to be capable of carrying out the sowing of barren worlds on their own. Some of the others, tragically, never elevated themselves past a level of barbarism, greed and warmongering. They were not deemed to be developed enough to be given the knowledge and technologies that would lift them to a higher level of understanding.’

Taking a deep breath, he said, ‘This is where your world differed from many others of the same ilk, you were on the verge of a great progression, but instead you are now on the very edge of catastrophe, and that is precisely why we are here – this time we have to interfere, for if we do not then you are all doomed and …’ he stared fiercely at them, ‘…and we have come too far to allow that to occur!’

The silence was thick and bleak this time around, total. Old grandfather time took his time. Tick-tock, tick-tock...After what seemed to be several centuries, George put them out of their misery.

He said, ‘There are dark forces at work and we are in trouble, we have a serious problem, one that desperately needs your help, Kenneth.’

Ken sat upright. ‘What forces, George?’ he asked. ‘From what I’ve seen there’s pretty much bugger-all that you lot can’t achieve!’ Ken was scathing in his attack. George looked at him in such a sincere way that Ken felt like a five-year-old who had just farted loudly in the school chapel. He very nearly said, ‘Sorry Sir, it just popped out on its own!’ but managed to bite his tongue as he felt those blue eyes bore into him. However, he was still overcome with the desire to say something about this whole, bloody mess.

So he did. ‘How the hell do you expect me to help with this mess? This is just unbelievable, I mean...bloody hell! First of all you go and tell me that I’m in a
parallel
or something, and then you tell me that you lot are the masters of the fucking universe, and now...well, and now you go and say that I have something you want, that I can help you! What in God’s name can I do? This is just incredible!’ As he spoke, Ken felt his anger rising, he knew from plenty of past experience that if he didn’t hold his tongue, then things would get very ugly, very quickly. He sighed, ran his hands over his face and clamped his mouth shut.

George kept staring.

After a while, he spoke. ‘What you must realise, is this…’ he paused, as if to make sure Ken was listening.

Ken
was
listening, most definitely.

Seeing this, George said, ‘You can have any opinion that you like about our current situation, our predicament, if you will? You can ask any number of questions, and so you should, for you deserve to know. You can be angry, you can be sad and you can blame me...us...for any number of things. All of the aforementioned are acceptable and more than understandable.’ He glanced up at the ceiling of the room, as if in search of assistance.

Looking back down at the men, he said, ‘This, after all, is one of the most prominent events ever to happen in this parallel. You two are amongst a very small group of survivors. I know how difficult this has been, how difficult it still is. I know, believe me – I know!’

He turned his head so that both men were able to see into his eyes.

Ken realised that the old man may well have been ‘Good Old George’ with his beguiling smile and his friendly manner. Yes, he may well have been the pleasant old man, but there was steel in him, a ruthless determination born out of the knowledge, born out of some horrible, irrefutable truth. Like the man had just said – he knew.

‘But,’ George said, forcefully, ‘after all of these things, after all of your questions and thoughts, there is only one truth with no ambiguity whatsoever. This has happened, it is a reality and it will not be undone. This cannot be undone!’ Taking a deep breath, he stormed on. ‘The future for you, and for all that remains of this parallel, is in grave danger!’

Then, in a barely audible whisper, he spoke the words that sent a full brigade of chills charging headlong down Ken’s back.

‘You, all of you, are on the very edge of extinction!’

Ken didn’t like the sound of that one, not in the slightest. He glanced at Mike – the big guy was just sitting there, silently watching George, lips drawn tight. Ken looked back to George, saying: ‘Extinction – all of us, what do you mean?’ George did his angry, staring thing. Ken had the feeling that he was merely checking to make sure they were paying attention. The thought made him shiver: there wasn’t any chance whatsoever that he and Mike wouldn’t be listening. He felt his mind sliding again – sliding straight into the old man’s eyes.

George then said, ‘All of this...all of it, the whole lot, everything!’ He waved his arms around his head.

Ken guessed the phrase ‘All of this’ was meant to encompass a little bit more than just the fancy room he was currently sitting in while having his brain fried.

With his blue eyes flaming, George said, ‘This, all of this dimension, the parallel in which you are currently sitting...it will all be gone in the blink of an eye, unless, well – unless the three of us damned well get this right!’

The three of them sat and looked at each other, the gravity of the last echoing words pressing down on them like an unseen weight. Three pairs of eyes looked into each other, two with a shared horror shining in their blue and green depths, whilst the one older pair shone with a barely visible glint of desperation in their faded, blue irises. Ken had not seen that in George before and it made him feel even more uneasy.