Chapter 4
Ibrahim opened his eyes with a start in a dark and dank gorge. Smelly blackish sludge mixed with blood and remains of dead bodies of both the Tamarisks and cows wafted through his nostrils. Deep wounds covered his body and his head ached badly with his reality almost slipping away. He squeezed his eyes shut, too scared to remember anything. Everything was hazy; one minute he was trying to save his head from Mubarak and his band of Tamarisk camaraderie and the next minute the ground rend open, he groaned. For once in his life, he thought he was going to die. Being buried in the deep crevice where the dead lived, whose lips never told tales or sang, gave him a glimpse of how gloomy the afterlife could be.
Slowly he rose to his feet, indescribable pain shot through his body, his legs jerked as if they were not his. But he couldn't afford to give his body the attention it craved for, else a large animal might sniff him out. Then he remembered the Ark was no longer with him and he searched frantically for it. Finally, he saw it sticking out behind a dead cow. Ibrahim became overjoyed, but his joy was short-lived when he found the Ark badly broken with the pointers twisted in an unbendable manner. His heart skipped. 'What is he going to do? How would he ever return home?' he mused as fear spread around his chest, and made it quite painful to breathe. His eyes danced around. Everywhere became contaminated with this plexus of melancholic infection pervading his soul. The more he stood, the more he totally despaired, with no zeal to live. 'What is happening to me?' he asked himself. He soon realized that he was reacting to the high level of greenhouse gas. Quickly, he stripped a dead Tamarisk of his gun and a bag full of ammunition and crawled out of the place.
Outside of the hypogean realm was the plain of Oto. The red hued suns shone faintly almost buried deep in the firmament. Totally different from when they had arrived, but he wasn't sure of what he had seen, nor could he remember how it was. He sucked in some air and walked, but stopped abruptly and his eyes widened in shock when he saw what laid before him. A large expanse of land which stretched everywhere and nowhere. His heart sank! He touched his bag. There was neither food nor water in it, and fear encapsulated his soul. In that moment, he said a prayer in his heart and trekked gently down the plain. Hoping against all hope that he would find Mubarak and his Tamarisk group, as much as he hated himself for conceiving such a dastardly thought, but he wasn't left with much of a choice. At least they would have some food with them.
Ibrahim could not tell the distance he had trekked or the time of the day. What he just knew was the firmament seemed to change after a period. Sometimes it became dense, while on other occasions it remained the same red-hued. His ordeal was worse than death. If he could at least tell where he was, maybe he could decipher how to get back home. An icy chill exhaled from his teeth as his mind drifted to Mubarak. Maybe he was right after all. If he hadn't created the Ark in the first place, none of this would have happened. His parents might still be alive. For a few seconds, he stopped to look at his wretched self… body covered in caked dirt, pus trickling down his infected knee, marooned on a deserted island. Hot tears stung his eyes. Whom was he kidding? He was going to die on this nameless planet. Suddenly, his hand brushed his pocket, and he felt the weight of the Ark and his heart skipped. Slowly, he retrieved the device from his pocket and gazed at it for a while. Contemplating whether to cast it far away where nobody would ever find it. But on a second thought, he returned the device into his pocket.
As he lifted his leg to continue his journey, they felt heavy and badly sored, painful spasm shot through his body. Now, he knew he had to listen to his body else he would have a nervous breakdown. It wasn't like he cared, anyway; he was going to die whether he kept walking or gave into what his body needed. He took a few steps forwards and crashed onto the ground, feeling dizzy and his head whirled out of control. His tongue stuck to the roof of his mouth in complete dehydration, and his stomach churned. Never in his life had he felt this thirsty, not even when he was observing the Ramadan! He shut his eyes, groaning in agony. All he wanted in that tormenting moment was just a drop of water to assuage his madness. Time would pass, and Ibrahim would remain on the ground, listening and praying for anything, even an ant to come his way, but there was nothing.
Everywhere was quiet, a soft breeze blew temporarily. Suddenly, Ibrahim felt something below his abdomen… the urge to urinate. Joy overwhelmed him. At least he would have something to cool his parched throat. He raised himself above the ground, with his weight on his good knee, cupping his hand around his genital while the other hand was placed underneath. As the yellowish warm liquid trickled into his hand, he gathered some amount into his mouth and the insipid fluid worked its way down his system. This was the third time he had to perform this detestable act, which wasn't anymore. In fact, he looked forward to it and feared what would happen when he won't be able to urinate again, since he had been dehydrated for a long time. He laid back and, in no time, drifted to a joyless dream.
* * *
Ibrahim walked down a long hall overlaid with gold. Bright candles burned at the astonishing feet of huge brazen statues with frightening animal head. Positioned at each corner of the hall; with Hands crossing their chests in utter solemnity. A terrible silence seemed to settle over the place like some malevolent soot. Ibrahim did not know how he got there or what he was doing there. His heart pounded and his sixth sense screamed at him alarmingly. But the more he had the urge to run, the more he moved closer. His feet glid across the golden carpet without his volition into a throne room. Seated on the throne was a colossal statue, just like the ones by the passageway. The only difference was that this one decked in the full regalia of a pharaoh. Burning aromatic spice in a vial by the corner cast a menacing shadow on its face.
Ibrahim gazed at this statue in awe; every inch of its sublimated form demanding riveting command and respect. Suddenly, something uncanny clicked in the room! Ibrahim looked around to see where the sound came from, but everywhere was as still as the night. But when Ibrahim looked back at the deity-like statue, he detected the sound came from the throne. The sibilant sound became loud as the masked face slowly retracted; exposing a blackened face covered with a bloody and viscous tissue. Blood curdling eyes glared at the strange intruder standing before him. Flat nose with horrible slits dilated to suck in more air. A deep, guttural laugh erupted from the throat of this strange entity, which reverberated through the walls. Ibrahim became utterly terrified and recoiled.
"We meet again?"
As the entity spoke, a terrifying blackbird issued out of its mouth. Ibrahim screamed and bolted for the exit. But his lean legs were not quick enough, as the specter picked him up by the collar of his garment and hurled him into the wall and Ibrahim blacked out__
Ibrahim woke up with a start, panting for breath. The dream was so vivid that for a split second he remained dazed, and it took him a few moments to put himself together. It amazed him at how terrified he was. It wasn't like he was such a person to give into superstition and all that irrational belief, but there was something uncanny which he couldn't place his finger on. Quickly, he sprang to his feet, slung the gun across his shoulder, and continued his journey.
As he walked on, he felt refreshed and the dream became almost a thing of the past and wondered why he was afraid. 'What could be worse than his present state?' he asked himself with a smirk on his face. Soon, the sand texture was no longer soft. It became somewhat coarse and steeped with jarred rocks.
A little distance later, he staggered into the Ohim valley; a dumpsite of rusted robotic parts. Joy overwhelmed him. He hoped he could find a compatible part or anything with which to fix the Ark. In craziness he searched frantically, but there was nothing useful, the metals were corroded for anything. With the state of deterioration, Ibrahim could tell the metals had been out for long, and he wondered if there was some kind of manufacturing company around. Then he spotted something else, a pair of frayed moccasin boots sticking out from the pile. He laughed, with joy surging through his veins, and yanked out the boots. The pair of boots wasn't as bad as he thought, and he knew this would make him a fine dinner. Ibrahim continued searching, hoping he might stumble on something good, but when no useful thing came his way, he continued his journey. Trundling out of the mountainous heap of dirt, with his consolation buried under his armpit.
Ahead to the South, Ibrahim could see a megalith structure, some five miles wide, with intimidating peaks on the far side. In front was a strange relief shaped like the eye of a bird, which bore a close resemblance to the shape of the Ark. Immediately, Ibrahim, had this deep, sated feeling of being home? All his pain and anxiety seemed to disappear as he moved closer to the megalith. The closer he moved, the more his heart raced in anticipation of reuniting with something familiar, something as old as himself. Not long he arrived at his destination, and his hope crashed with what he found. The site was abandoned, aside from the runes carved into the stones reminiscent of the people that once lived there. There was nothing! Not even the howling sound of the wind everywhere was eerily quiet. He rubbed his hand across the runes to see if he could decipher them, but arcaneness vibrated through the stones. No matter how disturbed he was, he felt at peace within himself.
Ibrahim settled down next to the structure and made some fire from the deracinated hard shrubs growing around. Upon it, he roasted the moccasin boot. His hungry stomach rumbled more loudly this time as the fire crackled and it was with much difficulty that he restrained himself from chewing it straight from the fire. As he waited, his mind drifted to Mubarak and his hordes of Tamarisk. Ibrahim wondered what had become of them, and a deep sadness overwhelmed him. He knew Mubarak could be anything, but he still had a deep regard for him, besides he would not forget the hand of kindness he extended at him before the earth sunk. Ibrahim heaved a sigh. There was nothing he wanted than a normal relationship with his brother. Yet he perceived it was rather too late for that.
Suddenly, he heard his name in the wind. Immediately he arched his back, with ears dilating to pick even the tiniest sound. But there was nothing. He shrugged it off and removed his toasted moccasin diner from the fire before it became too burnt to eat. There was nothing he could not eat in his state, he joked with himself. Then, his name floated in the wind, and with his food poised in his hand, he waited patiently. Eyes darted around, and in that moment, he could tell he was not alone. Now, he could hear the patter of feet approaching. Ibrahim froze in fear, and slowly put down his food and reached for his gun. Something he did not know how to use. His heart pounded heavily as perspiration dripping down his face.
As the footsteps grew nearer, his eyes grew wide in terror and he wondered if he hadn't come to the end of his journey. When he would muster the courage to turn, his eyes almost popped out of its socket at what stood before him.
"Doctor Ibrahim!" Zillah screamed in joy.
She wore a black jumpsuit with luxurious red hair braided to her waistline. Ibrahim rose in dazedness, for he could not fathom if it was a figment of his imagination or an actual person standing in front of him.
"Just like the prophecy had foretold, you came back"
She threw her long arms around him and swept him off his feet, squeezing him as if he was some tissue paper.
"I cc-ca-can't breathe"
Ibrahim said between clenched teeth. Zillah apologized and placed him gently on the ground. In that moment, Ibrahim realized he wasn't dreaming. His initial shock became replaced with happiness.
"Leila, I am so happy to see you, but how did you find me?"
Zillah smiled in a self-conscious manner, raking her brain to come up with a suitable response.
"And what prophecy are you talking about, Leila?" he asked.
"Um, between us, please drop the Leila thing… my name is Zillah, Zillah El-zamuni"
Ibrahim became alarmed and stared at her in a distrusting way.
"El- what?" he asked
"Listen, doctor, I know this is hard for you to take in, but this did not just happen," she said with a smile.
"You will soon find out everything for yourself__ come"
She walked away towards the megalith, where the relief was. There were so many things that Ibrahim wanted to say to her, like if she had seen any Tamarisk, but he restrained himself. The days had been so overwhelming for him, and he was glad to be reunited with someone as familiar as Zillah, and he couldn't afford to ruin it with inconsequential questions. As Zillah stood in front of the eye-like relief, she removed her humanlike mask and she transmogrified into a greenish being. Gigantic head with prominent eyes, and small aquiline nose with robust lips. Ibrahim recoiled in horror, clutching his gun.
"Who the hell are you?" he asked.
"Be still, doctor Ibrahim! I mean no harm," Zillah answered.
They locked eyes for a while and Ibrahim espied she was telling the truth. Yet he trembled in fear, for he couldn't reconcile the beautiful woman he had met and the one standing before him. Convinced Ibrahim was more calm and won't run away from what was about to ensue. Zillah moved closer and gouged out her left eye from its socket, dripping with a bloody glutinous substance slinking through her fingers. Ibrahim was horror-struck and retched from the disgusting sight. Zillah did not pay him any attention and placed her eye at the focal point of the eye relief. Immediately, the runes came alive, and the engines hissed and clanked. Then the stone wall slid open, and a billow of smoke gushed out. Zillah replaced her eyeball into its socket and it latched perfectly into the nerve ending.
"Are you coming Doctor?"
She asked as she dabbed the droplet of fluids around her eyes and walked inside. Ibrahim followed quickly before the portal snapped shut.
* * *
Inside the biosphere was cold and darkish. Several dome-shaped structures spread across the place. At the center was an intimidating structure, much like an obelisk, which also served as a lighthouse of some sort. Before the obelisk structure were two enormous doors standing by the extreme chamber, which functioned as armory. All the structures in this place looked at the monolith for relief.
Ibrahim walked beside Zillah in silence, and he could not help wondering where he was.
"Welcome to Alazend! A land wrapped in mystery"
Zillah said, as if she could read his mind. Suddenly, the light atop the obelisk-like structure flickered momentarily. Ibrahim became utterly terrified and drew backwards. His eyes darting back and forth fearfully when he dawned on him that following Zillah might be some kind of trap.
"Relax, it's just the signal"
Zillah said, with the corners of her mouth twisting amusingly. Ibrahim eyed her suspiciously. Hands tightened around his gun, something he was sure that could not protect him from their attack. In a little while, Tivs, which were slender greenish creatures, emerged out of their domes, with their youngling hidden in their bosom. All the miserable eyes of these creatures bore into Ibrahim, and somehow he fathomed their gazes as a kind of plea. His heart melted at their ironic situation. They beseeched him for help yet he could not help himself; nor could he avenge his father even when he told him the name of his assailant. He shrugged and quickly averted their gazes.
"Alazend was not always like this! It was a beautiful place filled with all the wonders you can ever dream of… rich in so many gas fields and mineral resources, a planet that served as a life continuum for some parallel universes"
"Wow, what happened?"
Their eyes met, and for a split second, Ibrahim saw fear in her eyes.
"According to legend, Thantys, a strange and powerful Martian god, invaded our world with lips coated in deep deception. He promised to make us better with his sophisticated armaments and technology and the supreme Oldes believed him, and opened our gates to him. But when the Tivs began to disappear, it did not take long for the Oldes to discover that everything Thantys promised was a lie!"
"Who are the Oldes?"
"They are the wise progenitors and without their knowledge there would be no Alazend"
"Hmm, I am sorry"
"Don't be," she intercepted. "Your world is at the brink of obscurement too"
She said as a matter of a fact and walked into the obelisk structure, and Ibrahim followed with his jaw dropping in wonderment. Inside bustled with activities. Two airtight rooms, flanked by each side of the vestibule and sealed with impenetrable glass wall. A house for all the knowledgeable objects of meteorology in Alazend, which were watched over by the intelligent Tran-Tivs. In one cell, a slender Tran-Tiv observed a cluster of strange fiery rock floating in the mid-air. While in another cell, which was saturated with floridness, some knowledgeable Tran-Tivs observed an intangible arch shape of hydrometeors flickering. Then the next cell was filled with luminary lights of the rainbows which interchanged, and each time the lights met, the Tran-Tivs would observe it. Finally, the last room was aqueous and six Tran-Tivs sat in a circle and held their hands in utter silence.
"What in God's name_?"
"Ssh"
Zillah hissed and placed her index finger on her lips.
"Noise can destroy the thought progression of the Tran-Tivs! They are the super intelligent of our kind, able to perceive and interpret anything in the universe."
Some steps forward, General Dillah, a towering and menacing Xipetus, stepped in front of them. Kitted out in a steely armour, with the eye of the bird and different frightening creatures emblazoned on his protective covering. He shared a striking resemblance with Zillah except for his height and his large head, and face, which was covered with strange tattoos of hieroglyphs which ran down to his neck. Again, that made him the Xipetus, the powerful defender of their galaxy. Dillah shot his terrible, scorching eyes at his sister, eyeing her from head to toe in full disdain.
"What is this?" he growled.
"He is the great Isah!" she announced.
"He? A mortal cannot be the great Isah! This is just a trap to lead Thantys and his armies to us!"
Dillah clenched his fists so tight they sounded like some old grating machine.
"It is in the prophecy, brother"
Zillah replied gently, still maintaining her cool disposition, as if she was ignorant of his growing outburst.
"Only HE with the blazing Ark can defeat Thantys and bring back our prelapsarian world!"
Ibrahim looked at Zillah and Dillah in total confusion, his face totally ashen.
"And you think this useless mortal can build the Ark?"
"I have seen the Ark which he has already built!"
They locked eyes for a while that seemed like forever, communicating psychically with each other.
"Doctor Ibrahim, please can you show my brother the Ark?"
For a fraction of time, Ibrahim was not sure if it was the same cursed thing resting in his pocket that they were referring to. The same thing that had caused all of his misfortune and sorrow.
"Doctor Ibrahim, the Ark please?"
Zillah reiterated herself. A part of her being fearing the ridicule that might emanate from this showdown if Ibrahim was not with the Ark. She knew her brother would make her life a living hell.
"I- don't know if"
Ibrahim said slowly as he dipped his hand into his pocket and retrieved the Ark.
Ibrahim knew he should have told her about the faultiness of the machine, but there had not been an appropriate time to do so. The moment the device touched her hand, she gave him the eyes of 'you should have told me'.
"This cannot be the Ark!"
Dillah spat in disgust, sparks of fury shot out of his eyes.
"I saw the Ark and I can tell for sure that this is the Ark."
She replied angrily, with a beam of light emitting from her eyes, matching her brother's brawl. Ibrahim quickly withdrew frightfully, shaken out of his wit.
"You challenge me for this useless mortal?" Dillah asked.
"He is not a mortal," Zillah countered him.
Slowly, his sparks of fury ebbed away, and his complexion returned to the normal.
"Bear it in mind that if anything goes wrong, you will wear the guilt as a badge of honor forever."
He said and stormed away. His dynamism threw Ibrahim off balance, but Zillah was quick enough to hold his arm and supported him.
"I am so sorry, Doctor Ibrahim. We both have brothers with brutish behaviors," she laughed.
Ibrahim did not share in her joke. Everything was still a mystery, and all he wanted was to fix the Ark and get back to earth. They walked straight to the extreme part of the hallway and stepped inside an elevator. Zillah punched a series of numbers in the slot and the car moved upwards.
"Em, Zillah, I think there is a misunderstanding here. I am not what you think. I need to fix the Ark, find my brother and get back to earth"
Zillah glanced at him and sighed. She wished she did not have to do this, because there was no way Ibrahim could grasp anything she had to say.
"I understand your plight, but I would like to ask if you built the Ark?"
"Yes!"
He replied cantankerously, wondering what it was about the Ark.
"When Thantys's ship landed on our planet with the purpose of colonizing us, we never knew what evil we were about to confront, they set up a strange laboratory in the Northern Mountains and carried out a series of an ignoble experiment on my people!"
"What experiments?" Ibrahim asked in bewilderment.
"They abducted my kinsmen and injected them with RIP2 transmutation serum, which destroyed their core memory and transformed them into a Halycon, a mindless machine"
"Oh, like cloning and body snatching?" he asked in confusion.
Zillah nodded.
"Sort of, but the only difference was that all the energy on our planet was used up for their nefarious mechanism. The life force of every organism groaned under their experiment! From the solar system to the least of the creature worn out. Of course, the supreme Oldes of Alazend could not sit and allow our race to die out. So they waged a war against the powerful Thantys and sadly… lost! We had no choice but to hide ourselves in this fortress, protected with a powerful magic that Thantys could not penetrate"
Suddenly, the car stopped, and they got off the elevator, into another whitewashed hallway with rows of metal doors flanking both sides.
"So the Tran-Tivs deciphered an old text that was buried in the cave of Primose. It foretold of the return of the great Isah, and only HE would have the keys to open the chest, which would be the end of Thantys"
"I presume the Ark is the key to this chest?"
"Yes, Doctor Ibrahim," she replied.
"And whoever wheels the Ark becomes the great Isah?"
"Again, you are correct, Doctor Ibrahim"
Ibrahim exploded in laughter, and clenching his stomach.
"I understand if it is difficult for you to comprehend"
"What is there to comprehend? You are mistaking me for your great Isah! Listen, if there is anything you can do for me, it is to help me fix the Ark, so I can go back home"
"Okay," Zillah replied gently.
They walked towards the extreme of the hallway, and Zillah pushed the door and they both entered inside an uncontaminated room. There was a tiny bed in the room, and an adjoining door which led to the cleaning facility; a bathtub of steaming water. Ibrahim was thrilled. This was what he needed more than anything in his life. He wished Zillah would take her leave so he could cool off his nerves. But he knew he had to be of his best behavior in order for him not to offend her.
"I know I have to give you a moment of rest, but you see Doctor Ibrahim, the Ark, your Ark is the key to our survival"
"Stop saying that, we both know that is not possible!" he said
"Everything is connected, and being an interloper I could feel the vibration from the inception of the Ark. I have charted every star, read every secret text and travelled to different parallel universe in search of the great Isah with the Ark, and to be honest I have not been lucky until now. Your Ark is the perfect description!"
"Zillah, your theory is only possible_"
"If the Ark is not a time machine," Zillah intercepted.
They locked eyes for a second as they completed each other's sentence. Then Ibrahim shook his head blatantly, trying very hard to convince himself rather than Zillah.
"NO! This is absolute nonsense. I designed this machine myself"
"If the Ark is such a fantasterrific machine, then what are you doing here? What are you doing in Alazend?" Zillah argued vehemently.
Ibrahim became speechless. He did not quite get her drift, and regarded her in the most dubious manner. Deep down he knew there was a serious misunderstanding, and it pained him he would be the bearer of such a dreadful tale in a time when they desperately needed a hero or some kind of god. He sucked in his breath with his chest heaving with emotions.
"Listen, there was an accident, okay? My brother slammed the Ark into the ground and boom! We, I found myself here!"
"Because there isn't any other place from here! It is your destiny to be here"
She said in a rather low voice as if she was trying to placate a child throwing tantrums in a public place.
"Zillah, I know how badly you want to save your people, your home and what have you, but the Ark is not a key," he said with his voice rising in a shrill tone.
A terrible silence settled over the room. Zillah regarded the slight frame of Ibrahim and respected his point of view. It was just her hypothesis; she wasn't sure if it was the key. For eons, different Tivs and Xipetuses had emerged with the key to the chest, yet they all perished with their invention in the Primose cave. Not to talk of this mortal from a parallel universe, the chances were quite slim if she were, to be honest with herself. Zillah heaved a sigh and stretched forth the Ark at Ibrahim in hopelessness.
"Very well, Doctor Ibrahim, there is only one way to find out"
Ibrahim gave her a questioning eyebrow as he received the machine.
"Which is?" he asked suspiciously.
Zillah waved her hand across the room and a portable workstation emerged, filled with sophisticated gadgetry.
"I will give you a few moments to work on the Ark and if by the time I return, you are no longer here, I will take it you are correct"
Ibrahim's mouth twisted in a contentious smile, his heart swelled with gratitude towards his god. A miracle he had so desired coming to him on a platter of gold. With his right calculation, he knew he would be out of this place in a matter of minutes. All he had to do was to contain the strain burst. Thus, the accident would only be a thing of the past. As if Zillah could read his mind, she turned and walked away without another word. The moment the electronic door zapped shut, a sudden guilt swept over Ibrahim for Zillah. He wished there was something he could do to help with their Martian foes and their hideous cloning system, but he had other, bigger problems. Like a transmitter, his mind switched to the digital workspace in front of him and he began some repair on the Ark almost immediately.