It is quite peculiar how things can change within a moment. A mere instance of happenstance can change the trajectory of a situation within a blink of an eye, without warning.
Some may say that happenstances like this occur for a reason. Some may comfort themselves by saying it is for the best. However, what makes them say this? If one was to murder your entire family, no, your entire lineage… would it still be for a reason? Would it still be for the best?
Nothing can ever dictate why something occurs, nor how it may occur. Life is an endless cycle of unpredictability and inevitability. All we can do is stand by and watch as it unfolds before our very eyes and deal with it as best, we can.
There are somethings in life we have to accept that we cannot, and will never, be able to control.
Or, at least that is my thoughts on it.
Michael's Perspective
I led her away from Jennifer and the ship, a few meters at best. It was a plain, golden brown cliff edge with ample space to move. Planet Alpha's star was just about to set, giving the sky above and ahead a light pink glow.
The air was clear and all that could be heard was the sound of silence. A beautiful sound, it was.
I removed my protective gear as well as my weapons and dropped it to the ground. In front of me, stood a South-Asian beauty. Celeste Wong, born in the Philippines, raised in the United States of America. Joined the US-Army at 18, then NASA at 22. Got engaged to Graham Young at age 23.
What I wouldn't have given to exist in a world with her as Michael did.
"So, what did you want to talk about, Mikey?" She questioned, tilting her head ever so slightly with a blissful smile. Nearly making me regret my future actions.
"Look at the sunset for a moment and take a whiff of the clean air on this mountain top." I replied, pointing toward the star as I gently closed my eyes.
She did as I had told her, without question.
"Do you feel that?"
"Feel what?" She asked with slight confusion in her tone.
"Freedom. Peace. Tranquility, Celeste." I answered, happily.
"Yeah, it is peaceful." She smiled, stretching her arms out wide, from east to west.
"Earth could never maintain such perfection. Or rather, humans could never maintain this perfection. With the entire population focused on domination, conquering, colonization, power, wealth, and fame… peace and a sound mind escape them. It would never cross its path with humans who do not care for it. So, they suffer in their self-created agony. A despair molded and crafted by their own, tainted hands. Frankly, even if they searched for this peace willingly, I do not believe that they would ever discover it."
She turned around to face me. Her face screamed out: "What the hell are you talking about?"
"What's the point of this?" She questioned me.
"I am not who I presented myself to be, Celeste. I am not the Michael you once knew. That Michael died in the arms of the woman he loved so desperately, not so long ago."
"What the hell are you talking about?" She stepped away from me, creating distance between us. A clear sign of fear.
"What I am about to tell you will crush your will and enrage you, but I assure you, I did what I had to do purely for the benefit of the Planet Earth."
"You're scaring me, Michael." She began to shiver.
I stared deeply into her eyes and all I could see was trembling, brutal fear. She knew what I was about to say, whether it was subconscious or not. The mere fact that I brought her to an isolated area of the mountain said enough in her mind.
"I killed Graham."
Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped to the floor. A mix of various emotions flooded her. Confusion, hatred, pain, sadness, love…
"What? No, you… you were with me and Jennifer the entire time… It… It was a trap that was set there, wasn't it?" She attempted to rationalize everything, but she knew the truth. She could feel and see it in my eyes.
"Who do you think set that trap? On this… journey to find the ship, we never once encountered any extra-terrestrial natives. Not one singular time, Celeste."
I pointed to the sky as I gazed upon its colorful beauty. A marvel.
"No… No. Why? Why? You're lying." She began to break down. A logical response.
"It was his desire. To exterminate the human race from the face of the Earth. Humanity was the ones who polluted. Humanity was the ones who were greedy. Humanity was the cause of the Earth's overpopulation. Humanity was the reason for many others' pain and turmoil. Humanity… Humanity… Humanity. And I… am the only one with the gall to get the job done."
"Humanity? But you couldn't have possibly caused a mass extinction." She grunted as tears rolled down her red cheeks.
"That's the beauty of it, Celeste. I didn't have to. When we left Earth, the estimated time period for the Earth to cleanse itself was around 8 months after we began our mission. The United States government knew this, but, as with all the important things they know, they decided to cover it up and not inform the rest of the populace."
"That… that can't be. That means… even if we left now, we would have never gotten back to our families or friends. They'd all be…" The waterworks began. Her eyes becoming an oasis in a desert with an abundance of tears.
"Dead. Yes. I was the only one who knew this on the ship, or should I say Michael was. On our way to the resting point within the jungle, I stopped briefly to set the trap for Graham and swiftly caught up. I chose a tree that looked like one a male would relieve himself on. Lo and behold, he chose that tree to urinate on. In retrospect, it was all a mere coincidence he chose the tree with the trap. And before you ask, yes, I was the one who moved the ship to different locations the entire time under your noses."
"You son of a…" She began grunting and exhaling more and more.
"Yes, get angry. I like that."
She then suddenly charged at me with a kick. I quickly defended and blocked with my left forearm as the kick was directed to my face. The force of the kick made me step back.
"Woah! What martial arts is this?"
Without wasting any time, she began throwing punches. A few landed and others I deflected or blocked.
"I'm gonna kill you, Michael!" She screamed, pulling out a small knife from her utility belt. She relentlessly attempted to slash me with it.
I grabbed her left arm and punched her armpit with my index finger's knuckle then threw her back to create distance. She fell to the ground, but swiftly got back up to her feet.
"This makes the final part of my plan very easy."
"SHUT UP!" She charged at me once more.
She attempted the same slashes, but I quickly kneed her in her stomach and took the knife, disarming her. I tossed the knife over the mountain edge.
She coughed and nearly vomited.
"Guess that knee was too hard. That's alright though."
I kicked her down to the ground and stepped on her leg, specifically on her inner thigh. She screamed. I then grabbed her by her mouth, shutting her up as I lifted her up.
She struggled.
"Hush, we wouldn't want to attract the attention of Jennifer, now, would we?"
I carried her over to the edge of the cliff. She struggled and screamed as best she could but to no avail. I then repeatedly began punching her face. Over and over again, from a bruised eye to a cut lip to blood leaking from the pores.
I felt nothing.
Eventually, due to the punch to her armpit and the stomp to her inner thigh, she could not move her arm or her leg. She stopped struggling. However, she refused to let go of my arm, even though her grip was as weak as a dried leaf.
"This would be the first time I killed anyone directly. I will grant you your last words, Celeste."
She tried her best to lift her head. I then moved my hold from her mouth to her neck for her to speak. With one eye swollen and the other half-open, she looked me in my eyes.
"Fuck you, Michael. I hope you rot in hell." She said with nothing but pure hatred.
I sighed as I tightened my grip around her neck. She began gagging and choking, gasping for any little air she could. Struggling for her life. A clear, human survival response.
"Such a shame it had to end this way, honestly."
She slowly began to stop. A minute later, she fell unconscious. It takes a seven-minute chokehold to kill a person, but I was not going to do that. I snapped her neck, her medulla oblongata, then let go of her. Her body fell twenty-six kilometers to the ground. I spared her a painful death. Although, you died with a full bladder, unlike your significant other.
"Goodbye, Celeste Wong. I'm sure if there were any humans alive, you would be missed."
I looked at the blood on my knuckles as I sighed then turned my head back, slightly.
"You may come out of hiding, Jennifer. I know you're around that corner."
…
Jennifer's Perspective
I got out of the shower. To feel the cleansing drizzle of the shower. Oh, how I missed this ship. I wonder where those two are.
I got dressed into a new, clean exploration suit. Then, I heard a scream.
"I'm gonna kill you, Michael!"
"What was that?"
I quickly rushed out. I could still hear the scream bouncing and echoing off the surroundings. I moved forward as I could hear grunting and fighting around the corner.
I moved toward it and peeked to the other side. I couldn't believe my eyes. Michael… no… 'It' and Celeste were fighting.
"This makes the final part of my plan very easy."
"SHUT UP!"
Celeste fought to the best of her ability, but he was clearly overpowering her. 'It' held her over the cliff and repeatedly mutilated her face. It was so grotesque. Nearly unbearable to watch.
A few words were exchanged, then… 'It' snapped her neck and threw her off the cliff.
Tears began rolling down my eyes.
I hid around the corner. I could hear 'It' mumble something, then 'It' sighed.
"You may come out of hiding, Jennifer. I know you're around that corner." It called me out.
I wiped my tears and peeked out again.
"Why?"
"It was necessary." 'It' said emotionless, staring directly into my eyes.
"I apologize, but this is necessary." The 'Hole-Incident' came back to me. The same exact words. This was all 'It's' plan.
I sat frozen.
"Go back to the ship. I'll be with you shortly to explain everything. Don't worry, I'm not going to end your life. The mission is complete." He instructed me as he averted his gaze to the sky above.
Without a second thought, I followed his instruction and headed back to the ship.
"Is this… how it all ends?"
I quickly made my way to the ship and ran to my cabin. There, the tears began flowing, without stopping. A wave of sadness came over me. I couldn't stop crying. I sat in the corner as I curled up into a ball, the fetal position.
"How did it all get to this?"
-Chapter VIII End-