'There's too much noise in here now'
The white coat lady's words had momentarily stunned him outside, so he had decided to listen to the group, give them a chance to explain. To ensure he made the right decision and did not repeat his past.
But now he felt maybe letting them stay outside and fend for themselves alone would have been a smarter choice. Perhaps they would make that choice on their own, if he nudged them a little.
'Punish him, he doubts us,' the metallic voice urged him, but he needed no encouragement.
Just beyond the doorless frame, as he observed the team and the loud one, he channeled a thought. An intent.
At his command, the air itself moved,,, slipping past the other and targeted the loud one's throat like an invisible hand. There was no intention to harm or hurt. Just a simple thought,,, for silence.
"I appreciate the peace I have created in this place. Don't break it," Kshaya said, his voice still hoarse. "I've muted him for an hour."
This was a simple trick he had learnt from the Jailor years ago: control over air was just another boundary to enforce. Everything was alive, and everything could be communicated with. The air inside the prison was completely under the jailor's control. And he was this prison's only prisoner.
He watched the man's voice cut off mid-syllable, as confusion spread across his face. The team moved closer, fear finally settling into their faces. Good. Fear meant respect. Respect meant they'd listen.
He turned away, dismissing them.
"Rest for the day. Ignore the noises at night,,, the biomes may get rowdy."
He didn't wait for questions. The night was still far from settling in and his routine was not over. Better to finish now before the dark truly embraced the prison completely.
'They will demand answers,' the heavy voice murmured.
'Let them ask,' Kshaya whispered back. 'I owe them nothing.'
The voices settled down, as he went back in his robot mode. Not much was left for him to do, all floors had been cleaned, the locks and seals had been double checked and the perimeter had been secured.
He would soon be done with his day after another round of meditation.
'How long before you throw them out?' The jailor's deep voice asked, echoing directly in his mind.
'I haven't decided yet, but it shouldn't be long. I'll hear them out soon...'
Next morning was just like any other, gray and void. Kshaya rose, meditated, and stepped outside as he always did. The desert hissed at the swamp; the swamp fought back. Balance was fracturing again.
He moved to the nearest encroachment, vines crawling past his marker and began cutting, methodical and silent.
Behind him, he felt eyes watching.
The team had gathered at the prison's entrance, observing. He ignored them, trying to focus on his own rhythm: cut, clear, cut again. His chains never came in the way of his movments, as if they had a mind of their own.
"Does he do this every day?" Lume whispered. The image of the specialist in his mind was slowly transforming.
"Apparently," another replied.
Kshaya's hands didn't falter, but his mind did. Their presence was constantly reminding him, that he couldn't run away from problems. Not anymore. But more than anything, his mind was faltering.
'You can't leave the prison Kshaya, this is your place in the world now. Our place' The metallic voice tried to convince him.
The static voice interjected, 'Bah, don't listen to him. A change of scenery would do you good. We should have gone out sooner.'
It had been like this since yesterday. Total chaos.
And then there were subtle clues and hints that were drifting around in his mind. The weird news section that the radio had repeated yesterday. Or the sudden increase in activity from the desert and the swamp. Eira's words.
There was a change incoming. A change to the world order, he could feel it.
'You can't ignore it, but you can choose to protect yourself. Don't let the chaos engulf you.' The heavy and bleak voice tried to calm him.
Kshaya wanted to shout, to break free of the chains that trapped him, but instead he focused on cutting the vines.
Then,,, footsteps. Getting closer.
He paused, the scythe in his hand hovering.
The sixth member stood a few paces away, watching him with an intensity that unsettled him. Her face was familiar, painfully so. But her name, the memory of her slipped through his mind like water through a sieve.
'You know her' the metallic voice hissed.
'No. You think you do' the heavy voice corrected. 'Memories lie. The artifacts remember better.'
She opened her mouth to speak, but Kshaya turned away sharply, chains rattling.
"Don't," he said, voice flat. "I don't remember you."
Her face fell as she stepped back.
Kshaya returned to his work, but his hands were shaking lightly. His rhythm had left him. Something inside him screamed that he was wrong, that he did know her, but the chains pulsed, and the thought dissolved.
The radio and the compass also turned silent.
Eyes closed, legs crossed and a weird device that sort of looked like an advance version of a rubix cube, Kshaya silently passed his time. Right now was the mental exercise period, he did this on alternating days. Over the years, he had collected and created a lot of weird puzzles, all stored inside one of the prison rooms.
Activities like this were spread out in his routine, to keep himself from stumbling back into the lethargy that had at first forced him to create the routine.
As he finished solving the cube, he heard the approach of another. This was the third time today that he had been approached. At least this time they were patient, letting him finish first.
"Specialist, you know why we are here," Eira appeared before him. "At least hear us out. It's the Council's request. You have to listen to them, you are bound by the rules."
He had been waiting for her to make the move. Of course he knew they were sent by the Council. No one apart from them would be brave enough to do so. But the Council no longer controlled him. Their debt was clear.
"I am obliged to hear you out, but agreeing to the request is not within the contract." His voice was slightly better now.
Breathing a sigh of relief, she sat down on the ground in front of him.
"Is it possible to have a little privacy, the rest of the team isn't aware and nor are they required to hear the contents of our discussion." Kshaya was not confused at the request, but made no move to accept it.
Shaking her head slightly, she took out her glowing sphere. A glowing light from the sphere enveloped them, as she faced the man she had worked with on various mission in the past.
She thought back to the numerous times that they had collaborated. And how everything had come crashing down.
"So, what's the Council demanding this time?" Kshaya did not let her reminisce for too long, getting to crux of their discussion.
"We need a guide, someone who will help us traverse the transformed flora and fauna. Our destination is the Citadel." As she spoke, her focus was on the man in front of her, trying to read his expression from the eyes that hid behind the mask. He had not removed his mask since they had arrived.
And her words did indeed get her a reaction. Surprise, curiosity and pain. She could read him easily, since he did not try to hide it.
"Going back to that place is a mistake. There is nothing left there. Nothing that is human. Alive, but not human," Kshaya spoke at a barely audible sound, forcing the words.
Memories, that he had been suppressing for so long threatened to overcome him at that moment, as he thought back to how he had scavenged the center of innovation. Trying to find any traces. And failing. Failure. That's what he was.
"It is no longer a place that humans are allowed in. But it is the source of it all, where it all went wrong. If we want to have a chance at reversing the current slow death of humanity, we have to venture back to that place. To the very center where the light of genesis first originated." Eira tried her best to make him look at this from her position.
"There is no cure to our situation, don't you see it. It's not immortality that is at fault but us. Humans. We are the problem. How do you solve that?"
"..."
"You don't have a reply, do you?"
"You are right, but even though it is true, don't we deserve a chance at redemption?"
"Doctor, we lost our chance when we committed to this forty years ago. There is no more redemption. Humanity is doomed." He was getting worked up now, as memories continued to resurface.
"So you knew it was me?" she smiled at him, looking at him with tears.
"I am the specialist, I knew it forty years ago. Even if my memories are distorted now, I still remember the role you played." His voice was no longer hoarse, but chilling. Like venom.
There was hatred in his eyes as he looked at her.
"But you are wrong. There is redemption for us. I caused the light of genesis, turning the world into what it is today. And now I can undo it. So tell me, will you help me one last time?"