...Continued from Mortal
There is nothing that 1 can do but agree with 5.
His parents are called back in to take the mortal child back.
"You can take the child home now. We will send for you as soon as we know something." 1 said to 321.
The two leave with the child.
"There is nothing for us to do now." 5 said, "we can only meet now when we have someone from the rebels with us. I would prefer their leader."
"That is impossible." 2 said.
"He will never come here." 1 said.
"I can get it done. I can persuade him to come here." 7 said.
"Don’t be so naïve 7. Why will he listen to you?" 2 asked.
"I have been in contact with him." 7 said.
"What?" Others exclaimed.
"He is my friend. We were educated together." 7 said again.
"No wonder the rebels know when and where to attack. You have been –" 1 started.
"Before you accuse me of treachery, I have never relayed any information to him and before you ask, neither has he. He is my friend. We meet as friends. We do not discuss work." 7 said.
"You want us to actually believe you?" 1 asked.
"I think we can take his word for it." 5 said, "7, I want you to arrange a meeting as soon as you can. If he cannot come here, tell him we are ready to meet him in no man's land."
The meeting dissolves. Everyone, except 1 and 2, leaves.
"We have to do something." 2 said.
"We are doing whatever we can." 1 said.
"He is our grandchild." 2 said.
"Don’t… Don’t say that again. Even walls have ears here. Besides, we are doing everything we can. We have to wait until 7 arranges a meeting, see if science can shed some light." 1 said.
Two days after that, the committee of elders are flying to the abandoned city of Sukamo. 7 has informed the others that the head of the rebel group, along with his few loyal friends, is already waiting for them.
"What do you call him? I don’t think he has assumed Arlan identity." 2 asked 7.
"Well he was competing for 7 before the rebellion. We both were. I succeeded only because he withdrew. He didn’t assume Arlan identity. He has a name now." 7 elaborated.
"A name?" 1 asked, "What is a name?"
"Name, as he calls it, is a person's identity. He once told me, people had names before Arla came into existence. His name is Kristopher."
"That is strange." 2 said.
The convoy is met with a receiving party from the rebellions at Sukamo. They are escorted to a building towards the center of the city. They enter reluctantly to see Kristopher and a woman sitting on one of the many benches in front of a broken window.
"1, I am honoured to meet you." Kristopher said getting up from his seat. They shake hands and settle down.
"We are here to discuss –" 1 said.
"Do you know why this city was abandoned?" Kristopher cut in-between.
"There was a major tremor beneath its surface." 1 said.
"That is a lie that was told to the world." Kristopher said, "Do you know what this building is called."
"I do not." 1 said.
"This is a church. People used to come here to pray."
"There is no point in this church. Arla is everywhere. It is the air that rustles the leaves, it is the water that flows through –" 1 started but was again stopped by Kristopher.
"Stop quoting your scriptures. Have you ever wondered who wrote them?" Kristopher asked again.
"We are not here to listen to you disparage our religion. As you may well have known already, there is a child that has born with mortality." 1 said.
"I have no idea but you have my attention." Kristopher said.
1 motions 5 to explain the situation.
"Eleven months ago, a child was born and he has already started walking. I checked his heart and it beats four times ours. I came to the conclusion that it will die a year from now."
"Don’t you think it can be a disease?" Kristopher asked.
"There are no diseases on Earth." 1 said
"It can't. The child has shown no signs of weakness. He is functioning normally." 5 said.
"Are you sure the child is human?"
"You offend us Kristopher." 5 said, "He was born with our rituals. He is a human."
"I take your word for it. What I don’t understand is, if he was indeed born with our rituals, why is he mortal?"
"We came here to acquire the answer to the same question." 1 said, "We need your help. If you can help us restore his immortality, we will be eternally grateful."
"I will be glad as well." Kristopher said.
"Tell us what you know." 1 said.
"There was a prophecy. We have long since forgotten its contents but it clearly stated the birth of a mortal child. It means the end of the world as we know it."
"End of the world?" 1 asked.
"There will be more. Our immortality has come to an end. Within a few centuries, there will be no men who will live more than a hundred years." Kristopher said.
"I already speculated this. What can we do?" 5 asked.
"Well, first of all, we are not immortal, we live a thousand years and we die." Kristopher said.
"Yes, but that is under our control. We die because Arla denies a day over thousand years." 1 said.
"That is exactly my point. We have control over our deaths. The child born doesn't." Kristopher said, "If you are not uncomfortable with handing the child over to me, I can promise his well-being." Kristopher said.
"We cannot do that. The child's mother won't allow it." 1 said, "You are, however, welcome to our city to inspect it."
"We can do that. I will be accompanied by two of my people if that is not a problem?" Kristopher asked.
"None at all. We will await your arrival." 1 said.
The elders leave.
"Do you believe them?" Trisnelia asked.
"I have no reason not to." Kristopher replied.
"What was that prophecy thing?" Trisnelia asked.
"I made-up that bit. I told the what they can believe."
"This could mean –"
"I know what this could mean." Kristopher said, "I want you and Niata to accompany me tomorrow. Ask him to take every apparatus he has got. We are going to change the world."
The smile on Kristopher's face was meticulous as he turned to face the broken window.
To be continued...