On the other side of the dark cave, a fainted light seems to fade out, and crackling lighting up bright, like announcing the secret contents of its jailed cave, and the exit out to normal life… and humanity. Life hopes invaded both Ada's and Cree mind. At a distance, a skinny tall silhouette seems to enlarge as it entered deeper in the cave. This creature seemed to be chanting, unable to decipher what this figure was chanting, decided to go further closer to the origin of the chanting, echoing as same as the dripping in the cave.
-that voice sounds familiar
Murmured Cree. Ada looked back at Cree with her dark brown eyes opened wide, as the wowing against what they both seemed to hear was a familiar voice…..
Super duper familiar...
Is it possible?
Cree's excitement increased…
-is it Ben?!
Benjamin my mate?
-come on mate!
You can run, but you can't hide mate!
We got your back Ben!…..
As Cree increased his pace walking up to the source of the chanting voice, he felt his eyes watering.
At the height of his excitement, himself found to be reaching the source of that familiar voice. The pinnacle, the end of his quest. No more looking for this lost soul of his. He's heart beat increased as his hands got sweaty, his walking speed increased, where fir himself seemed to take an eternity to reach the end of the cave.
Cree's mind wondered back to the times they spent together, the testings of the projects they both built up, the ships they built, how they met and worked hard to where they both were, how they became famous in their field, how they worked building up the new technology that took them to infinity and beyond….
But his facial expression changed as he approached the area where that familiar voice made a momentary joy when Cree reached the end of the cave.
His wide opened eyes took some time to process what he just witnessed.
An old aged person, skinny to his bones, long white hair, white tunic and robe, wooden cane with a little skull in the top of its handle, and deep blue eyes that reflected the flickering of the light avid danced as the breeze got inside the cave.
-oh hello lovely couple!
The man said
Cree stopped right at the top of the little turn where the cave directed them to where that voice called their attention.
Lighted up by a flickering candle flame, the shadow projected by the body of a person sitting on table seemed way too familiar for Cree….
-no way….
Though Cree
-impossible! Hey Mate! Holy moly!
Where have you been Mate!….
The frigid shadow did not seem to react, it continued looking down ignoring Cree's exclamations…. A big white cave rat jumped down to the floor spooked by Cree's echoing voice. Ada's walking pace speed up, catching up with hun at the top of the little hill inside the cave.
Her surprise also caught her, and a sad expression invaded her face. She immediately put her hand on Cree's shoulder to calm him down. His body, shaken by anger spiked up all over his his arms, where anger made his hands hold a fist as he lowered his head.
-mate, I will never give up!
Never!
Cree felt down to his knees..
And cried.
It broke Ada's heart seeing how sad his man was knowing his best friend, his mate was so close to be found, but still far…..
….but Ada noticed something this dummy had…
On his hand, a letter, curled up like a map, discoloured hand written instructions.
It contained handwritten instructions …
To a place located in The Cartwheel Galaxy, with exact coordinates….
-Cree, called Ada, as she unfolded the tubed rolled up paper, dusting it off as she laid it down in the aged, almost decayed table.
-isn't that the coordinates for The Cartwheel Galaxy Cree?
Optimistically asked Ada…
Cree, with increased curiosity read the instructions in the map…..
But there was an inconvenience…..
To find their way out of the cave and embark in another trip….
They could hear a distance noise coming from deeper in the cave….
-deeper?
Cree talked out loud….
-there seems to be another way of getting inside this cave….
As they continued walking towards the noise, the cave seemed to open up…. revealing another mini city, hidden from the out side world.
The disguise: a dead volcano crater not visible to any ship or explorer naked eye.
It was a completed city with space Cree recognized: Benjamin's design….
-You sob, you had it all well hidden mate!
Cree said to himself…..
They continue walking and quickly mixed in the crowd of busy citizens making their everyday life.
At fat, in the main plaza, a tall building seemed to have caught his attention:
-similar to Heathergate headquarters huh?
Murmured Cree
-let's go in hun…
And holder Ada's hand ….
It looked so similar to Heathergate….